A Sale jeweller is to take on the London Marathon next month to fundraise for a children's charity close to his heart.

Stefan Peilober, from Stefan's Jewellers, is to take on the 26.2-mile run to fundraise for Variety, the Children's Charity.

Mr Peilober, 60, was inspired into action by a trip to the Legends of Industry Awards where he saw the businessman, charity champion and mental health awareness advocate Michael Josephson pledge eight wheelchairs to the charity, which supports disabled children with wheelchairs and other equipment as well as experiences such as their Variety Great Days Out.

The jeweller, who runs a shop on Northenden Road alongside his wife Sandra Peilober, wanted to pledge a wheelchair of his own, if not two or three, to the charity.

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Mr Peilober said: "It is amazing how much Michael has done. It is unbelievable what one man can do. The best people are the people who are doing it from the heart.

"He got up and said 'I will give away eight wheelchairs’ and I thought you know what? I am going to give away a wheelchair. I thought to myself why am I not fundraising for these wheelchairs? Why not get one? Why not get two? Why not get three?"

Messenger Newspapers: Stefan Peilober

After setting up a page on Just Giving he is asking some customers to contribute towards it of paying him for his services.

The London Marathon is on April 21. 

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Mr Peilober said: "You can see people thinking why would we fund them when you get them for free through the NHS? But people don’t realise they don’t fund every type of wheelchair like powered chairs or lightweight chairs. And asking a child to use the wrong type of chair is like asking someone to run a marathon in flip flops – it doesn’t work. 

"A lot of these teenagers don’t want to go out in a cumbersome wheelchair. They want lightweight chairs to go out and have access to everything. It is hard until the moment somebody says something and the penny drops. There is a lack of education."

To contribute to the page on JustGiving go to justgiving.com/page/stefan-blaise-peilober-1698150924598.

For information on Variety, the Children's Charity, go to variety.org.uk or search Variety GB on social media.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.