A COUPLE has raised more than £6,000 for St Helena Hospice after organising a series of fundraising events.

Nina, 41, and Paul Burton both ran the London Marathon and collected more than half the amount on sponsorship.

The rest was raised through events at Philip Morant School, where Paul, 46, works on the site team.

A staff quiz and picnic event, non-uniform day and charity auction, including items signed by Jenson Button, raised a further £3,000.

The couple decided to raise cash for the hospice after Nina’s mother and first husband died within a fortnight of each other.

Mum Gillian Koumpan died of emphysema, aged 57, on August 18,1998, and two weeks later husband Stuart Field died aged 29, from a brain tumour.

Both had spent their final weeks in the care of St Helena Hospice and in the 14 days between the two deaths Nina’s daughter, Zoe, was christened there.

Paul said: “It all started with my wife wanting to give something back to the hospice.

“We needed to raise £3,000 for the marathon and we thought with the school’s help that would be achievable, but to get £6,000 is unbelievably fantastic, and quite humbling.

“Since then as well as fundraising we have been helping out at events, handing out flyers and so on, and Nina was the guest speaker at the charity’s May Ball.

“We said if they need a hand just put us down and if we can we will - we also did the Pier-to-Pier walk, and Nina is taking on the Race for Life too.

“It is almost a come-down now we have eased off so we are looking for something else to do.

“We want to thank the school for all their help.”