The chief executive of a financial advisory firm will be doubling the GBP£65,000 (€77,000) in donations he received so far for running tomorrow’s Valletta half-marathon to £130,000 (€155,000) that will go towards supporting the people of Ukraine.

“My father, a Baptist preacher, always told me that you may not be able to change the world but you should always do your bit to help. It’s not about getting the fastest time on the clock or about being an elite athlete. It’s about doing our bit. It’s about community,” said Nigel Green, CEO and founder of asset management organisation deVere Group.

Last week, Green pledged to match any donations made saying: “If you donate £50, I’ll match it, if you donate £100,000, I’ll match it.”

He will be running the half marathon tomorrow almost 10 years after having previously run the marathon for charity. This time, his motivation is different.

“Children in Ukraine have endured shelling and violence. Many have been displaced from their homes. Air strikes and explosions have resulted in damaged essential services such as schools and hospitals,” he said.

“Many families have managed to flee the tyranny and daily attacks,” the CEO of deVere, that also has an office in Malta, added.

Having had business operations in Ukraine and across the region for many years, Green has direct contact with families whose lives have been destroyed by this war and who now need to start again from scratch.

So far, he has raised £65,000 through a fundraising website as well as through donations made by employees spread across the multiple deVere offices all over the world, including Dubai, Spain and the UK.

To donate visit https://www. gofundme.com/f/helping-families-affected-by-russiaukraine-war.