Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. I guess if you have got this far you are considering making a donation - so for that, many thanks. The homeless and vulnerable people of Brighton and Hove will be grateful - and you may be saving a life.

Having lived in Brighton most of my adult life, and having visited many many cities around the world, I have become increasingly moved and concerned that life seems to have dealt cruelly with some people.

When I see young or pregnant people sleeping on the streets, for example, I am at a loss to understand how this can happen, but it does. I am frequently inspired when I talk to many homeless people, and it has been my experience that the 'they'll spend it on drink and drugs' myth is simply not true in the majority of cases.

Even so I hardly ever give money to the homeless - hot drinks and ten minutes of conversation are worth more to many of them I think.

But I am happy to give money to the people who have expertise and compassion in equal measure; they save lives on a regular basis and any donation, however small, will be put to good use. Not only do Off The Fence work with the street community, they also provide support and shelter to abused and frightened women who are at risk, and this is another great reason to support them. I am training hard to run 26.2 miles for them; anything you can spare will be so gratefully received.

I'd like to raise £1000 for the vulnerable this year; it's a big ask but with your generosity perhaps we can do it. Thank you all for reading this far!

Andrew x