Thank you for visiting the Hastings Homeless Service JustGiving page. Staff, volunteers & friends of the Homeless Service will be taking part in the Hastings Half-Marathon on 21st March 2010 to raise vital funds for this service.

Between the Hastings Half Marathon and the Brighton Marathon on 18th April 2010 (please take a look at: www.justgiving.com/homeless-marathon), Roger, Errico and Penny are hoping to raise over £1000.

Homelessness is usually the end result of a long chain reaction of events stemming back to childhood abuse and/or deprivation, often involving mental health problems and/or alcohol or drug misuse, which people sometimes turn to as a (poor) coping mechanism.

Institutionalisation – through growing up in local authority care or serving in the armed forces – is also an all-too-common factor behind homelessness.

Homeless people suffer rates of physical and mental ill-health far greater than the general population and are 35 times more likely to commit suicide.

Homeless people are often discriminated against, and for all these reasons can find it very hard to re-integrate into society and to access health care services.

St John Ambulance Homeless Service is a nurse-led primary health care service working towards improving the health of homeless people, re-integrating them into society and other services, and promoting understanding of homelessness among the wider community.

The Homeless Service receives no Government funding and is funded by the Big Lottery until 28^th February 2010. After that it will be dependent on grants, donations and fund-raising events, such as this one and the Brighton Marathon, which Roger is running on 18th April 2010: please see www.justgiving.com/homeless-marathon

For more info on the Hastings Homeless Service, please visit:

http://www.sja.org.uk/sja/counties/sussex/hastings-homeless-service.aspx

Many, many thanks for whatever you are able to donate. You're allowed to sponsor for both events if you want to!!