On the 18th November, I will be joining Gresham House colleagues and swapping beds for sleeping bags as we participate in Centrepoint's 2021 Sleep Out event. We will spend a night sleeping out in central London to raise much needed funds to support this charity in helping young people out of homelessness across the UK.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made this charity's work all the more vital with Centrepoint having seen record numbers of young people facing homelessness, mental distress, and unemployment in the last year. 

Centrepoint provides young people with a safe and stable place to live. But their work goes beyond this. They help young people tackle physical and mental health issues, develop independent living skills, as well as providing access to education, employment and training opportunities with the ultimate aim of helping young people leave homelessness behind for good. 

On 7th November, I will also be running my first marathon in the beautiful city of Istanbul (allegedly the only marathon that covers two continents!!) and will be raising money for Centrepoint, ahead of the Sleep Out. While I admit I've dragged Jamie through an eclectic array of challenges over the last few years, 21 miles is the furthest I've ever run and 26 is a very daunting prospect! I have a whole new respect for all of you champions who have run marathons in the past.

I would be hugely grateful for any donations you might be able to spare for this important cause. Through every donation, you can have a meaningful impact and provide access to amenities and support that so many of us take for granted:

• £20 could pay for a counselling session for a young person.
• £40 could pay for a kitchen starter pack for a young person arriving at Centrepoint, providing them with the basic cooking equipment and utensils they need to get them started.
• £80 could pay for a study kit, including stationery and a backpack to help them succeed in education or work.
• £300 could pay for a laptop for a young person to support their learning and keep them connected. 
• £500 could pay for 10 personal care kits, which include a fresh set of clothes, shampoo, toothbrush and a clean towel for young people who left home with nothing

I'll keep you updated on the marathon and check out this link for more info on the crisis facing so many young people in this country and how Centrepoint is aiming to eradicate homelessness by 2037: https://centrepoint.org.uk/