As you can see from my profile picture, I'm no stranger to sleeping rough in freezing cold temperatures, and not washing my hair for a week, however, climbing Kilmanjaro was only 7 days of discomfort. There are people who are living on the streets every single day who experience cold, hunger and discomfort. Homelessness can affect anybody.

In my misspent youth I travelled all over the country following different bands, going to festivals, and generally having a ball. We always hitched for lifts in twos and threes for safety and met up in the most obscure places with the rest of our mates, not knowing where we going to sleep that night but relying on good natured human beings at the gig to give us their floor for the night.

As a small gang we were safety in numbers, especially in some of the places we slept and the oddballs we met! Occasionally, we’d have nowhere to sleep, so had to make do with a cold floor in a shopping arcade or the back of a shop. I was convinced I was going to get eaten by rats or killed by a mass murderer, but again we felt safety in numbers and the next day I’d be travelling home to my safe place.

Those years definitely made me streetwise and opened my eyes to the loneliness, the fear and the life experiences that can change people’s lives in an instance.

Being homeless doesn’t just mean sleeping on the streets, it includes not having a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, such as those living in emergency shelters, transitional housing, or places not meant for habitation.

By taking part in the CEO Sleepout Darlington I'll be supporting local charity First Stop Darlington who work with people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness and those who are chronically excluded, by providing a wide range of support, activities and training to help people realise their potential, improve their outcomes and outlook and support them in their journey to independence.

Being homeless doesn’t just mean losing a home, it means losing a complete way of life, family and friends as well as the comfort and safety of a permanent home, and that is why I’m asking you from the comfort of your safe place, to help me raise awareness and funds for those that are struggling every day.

Thank you so much xx