Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Veterans Aid is a totally unsung and amazing little charity that looks after homeless ex-Servicemen. It does this without a fuss, so you probably will not have heard about them.

They provide more than 20,000 nights of accommodation a year to homeless veterans – many of them young ones. They are the ‘Accidents and Emergencies’ of the Armed Services charities and are just too busy to do much more than get on with their work, which they do really well, with kindness and awesome speed.  Just look at their website – www.veterans-aid.net – it’s a real eye-opener.

They need funds and that is why I am going to raise some by taking part in the “Hard As Dales” event on Sunday 18th August 2013 (http://www.forallevents.co.uk/walk-for-all/events/yorkshire-dales/28-miles/) on the Yorkshire Dales. As you know, I am a fitness freak and love physical challenges like this (sad face).

Homeless ex-Servicemen and women, usually broken and destitute, come to see them from all over UK at their ‘drop-in’ centre near Victoria Station, in London.  From there begins a long and often painful path to regain their self-esteem and to reintegrate the community which many served bravely to protect. This journey involves a period of rehabilitation at their own veterans’ hostel in the East End of London; a good place, great people working there. When they are stronger they move on to more permanent accommodation – local authority flats or supported housing. 

Veterans Aid are doing all they can to get these guys - many of them are young -  back on their feet, accommodated and stabilised at their hostel and treated for whatever is wrong with them. Some of them are just slightly depressed, others are very seriously ill. VA badly need the funds to allow them to help them. This is where I come in. I am hoping to raise at least £500 for this worthy cause but any more that than will be a major bonus!

So please dig deep and donate now. Any amount you can spare will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.