A Devizes mother and daughter are taking on different kinds of challenges to raise money for charity.

Melanie Taylor, 38, is going to run the London Marathon while her 17-year-old daughter, Lottie, will be spending a gap year teaching English to children in Thailand.

Ms Taylor, of Elliott Court, Devizes, decided she wanted to do something challenging before she turned 40 next year.

She used to tackle half marathons but had not run since an operation about three years ago.

She said: “I got out of the habit of running and it’s difficult to pick it back up – but I’m not the sort of person who will go out just for a jog, I need to do something more challenging.”

She has got a place in the London Marathon next year and is raising money for United Response, a charity which works with people who have learning difficulties, mental health needs and physical disabilities, to help them take control of their lives.

Ms Taylor started training in earnest five weeks ago and is now running 30 to 45-minute stints.

She said: “I’m not expecting a really great time in the marathon, I just want to finish. I will be happy to make it over the finish line in under five hours.”

Ms Taylor, who is a hygienist at High Street Dental Clinic and the Market Place Dental Practice in Devizes, hopes to raise £1,500 for her charity.

Sponsorship can be left at the dental practice or online at http://virginmoneygiving.com /MelTaylor Lottie, who is studying for her A-levels at St John’s School, Marlborough, got through a gruelling selection process on the Isle of Coll in the Hebrides – which included helping out on farms – to be chosen by the educational volunteering charity Project Trust to volunteer in Thailand.

As well as teaching children English, she will create extra curricular activities such as drama workshops, art and sport.

She said: “I’m really excited about going.

“I didn’t want a gap year but after hearing about the charity I can’t wait to do it.”

Her mother thinks one of Lotties’ biggest challenges will be not being able to access Facebook and the internet daily, as she will be in a remote place.

She has to raise £6,000 and is organising various fund-raising events, including a murder mystery evening in January and an Easter egg hunt around Devizes.

She has a blog at findingfern.wordpress.com