<p><strong>42 flights, 920 steps, 183 vertical metres</strong>&nbsp;</p> <p>On March 3rd I'll be taking part in <em>Vertical Rush</em>, running up 42 flights of stairs in London's Tower 42 in aid of Shelter, proving once again that I have no sense of reason or proportion when it comes to athletic events.</p> <p>In the meantime I'll be training on the 13 flights of stairs at work. You can do 2 things to help me:</p> <p>1. Sponsor me and Gift Aid your donation if you are a UK taxpayer</p> <p>2. Remind me that I'm not going to get away with not training for this! (just look at the picture, it looks brutal)</p> <p>Shelter works with people in bad housing, vulnerable housing and with the homeless. For a long time I've wanted to do something more than buying the Big Issue or pretending to be absorbed in my book when the tap-dancing homeless guy on the Victoria line asks for money.</p> <p>I've recently helped out with the Harringey Churches Winter Shelter (a small, locally organised project, not connected to the charity Shelter). This project has been making a huge difference to people's lives but it only deals with their immediate circumstances. To deal with the causes of homelessness and bad housing needs a bigger charity. I'm raising money for Shelter because they lobby to bring about legislative change, tackling the causes of housing problems as well as providing assistance to those in need.&nbsp;</p> <p>I'd love to raise &pound;250 for Shelter. It would go some way towards making my run up 42 flights of stairs not entirely stupid and ill-advised! Please spur me to the top with cash!</p>