you can still support YMCA England here or donate by text  
send DEED66 £3 to 70070 

- Last year (2004 running for OASIS Trust health centre for homeless people) I found the pain easier (ISH!!) to bear knowing exactly who all my sponsors were helping..... the who, what, Y, how & what a DIFFERENCE it was making......

This year - as many of you know - I have just made a career change [slight concern: career is a word used for going down hill rapidly out of control?, sometimes linked to snow and ice - a good descrption of my training so far] AND, anyway I've just started a fantastic job with West Kent YMCA - where day by day I can see the difference in Young Peoples lives... and yet we want to do so much more to support them and give them a secure space in which to choose to turn their lives around and build their future. It is our privilege and joy (most of the time!) to join them and support them on their journey..We work with the - MOST vulnerable and needy Young Women and Young Men- They have so often been excluded, rejected, used or abused by so many others... Most of my sponsor money will directly support this ongoing front line work and some exciting new developments that we are busting to start once we can see where the funds are going to come from.. [A smaller proportion of my sponsor money will go to the National Council of YMCAs for wider development work, such as new housing projects.]I offer an open invite to -- any of our supporters -- anyone sponsoring a Team YMCA Marathon runner-- any Team YMCA runners-- anyone thinking of working with us as staff/volunteer...to visit West Kent YMCA to share the vision... we can show you our 24-flat hostel - RYDER HOUSE; or the HORIZON PROJECT our carpentry training scheme which really engages young people who have fallen out of any mainstream programmes [e.g. even exclusion from 20 schools..] I would appreciate it if other runners who visit don't tell me just how much training you have done (given I am trying to squeeze in new job, finish old job, move house... and have not been certain if I would be able to do the marathon so motivating myself to train has been real hard)SO - if anyone would like to visit West Kent YMCA to catch the vision of what we are about - then do let me know by phone, email or fax etc... and I will contact you to arrange a visit. We have an interim website:- http://beehive.courier.co.uk/westkentymca and a new site:- http://www.westkentymca.org.uk - under construction... [paste these into your browser] they show some of what we do and other ways to support us... and our current locations in Tunbridge Wells / Tonbridge, BUT please call to arrange a visit - unless going to our Furniture Warehouse and Horizon Shop in Tunbridge Wells - both usually open Mon-Sat 9-4.45.Thanks again for your interest and support.. Please sponsor me on-line at - http://www.justgiving.com/RobMarshWestKentYMCAWith Kind Regards Rob Marsh West Kent Y M C A Mobile - 07941 388 852 [do leave me a voicemail] Email - rob.marsh@westkentymca.org.uk my eFAX - 08701 629 893 [goes direct to my email] Web - www.westkentymca.org.uk _______________Registered Office - West Kent YMCA, Ryder House, 1-23 Belgrave Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2BP.Tel - 01892 542209 Fax - 01892 514928 Websites -http://beehive.courier.co.uk/westkentymca [2 new sites being built]www.westkentymca.org.uk www.horizonproject.co.uk HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE BUILD THEIR FUTURE  We are a local Christian charity totally committed to helping Young People in need - regardless of gender, race, ability, or faith Registered Charity No. 803529 Registered in England & Wales as a Company Limited by Guarantee No. 2512960_______________Thank you _______________