On Saturday 20 April, I enter my fifth decade on this planet. Then, on Sunday 12 May, I will be donning my running shoes and lathering myself in anti-chaffing cream to run my third ever Leeds Half Marathon.

This is not just some mid-life crisis though. I will also be running for the benefit of the amazing homelessness charity, Simon on the Streets. It exists to provide support to those people in our community, who are often excluded from, or who refuse the intervention of other services, with a view to empowering them to change their lives. Adopting a long-term approach, it achieves this by providing direct support on the street through outreach. The charity’s support is unconditional, all times of day and night. It provides motivation towards accessing a wide range of services to help improve the health of its service-users and life choices they make.

Please do donate whatever you can to support me. I have been a trustee of Simon on the Streets for almost five years, so can attest to the fantastic work undertaken by the charity.

Many thanks!

Leo