My name is Martin Daker and on Thursday 12th August 2021, I shall be walking / climbing the highest mountain in Wales and England - Snowdon!

In the 1990s, I used to be lean and fit and did a lot of hill running including running up and down Snowdon - in fact, my quickest time was 1 hour 40 minutes.

Nowadays, it's a different story as I have a condition called Sarcoidosis that restricts my lung capacity to less than 50% of what it should be. Although I can still jog a little, I struggle to go any distance especially when there are any hills around. So it's going to be quite a challenge...

Though not as great a challenge as some people have to face daily such as those who may not have a roof over their head tonight or food inside their bellies or clean clothes to wear. It breaks my heart to see some of my fellow citizens having to live this way, especially if they are ill and have had to be treated at one of our hospitals or clinics... and then discharged to goodness-knows-where.

So I'd like to help out a little and I'm asking friends and colleagues to help out too...

I'm doing this on behalf of the Trust's Homeless Team who are seeking non-perishable food and clothing (ideally men's clothing) donations for their most vulnerable and elderly patients. A full list is at the bottom of this page if you could help out with a item or two.

I'm aware that some people may prefer to donate money instead so this page has been set up for that purpose - any monetary donations made here will be handed over to the Homeless Team so they can then purchase the required foods and clothing locally in Sandwell and West Birmingham.

Here's the list of items that the Homeless Team are currently requesting:

• Men’s tracksuit bottoms • Men’s underwear and boxer shorts • Deodorants and body sprays • Shower gels • Wipes • Tea and coffee • Long life milk/juices • Biscuits and cereals • Pot Noodles/Super Noodles

Thank you for anything you can contribute...