I spent a while thinking about how I could get across to people why I have chosen to do this fundraiser and why I’d love you to, firstly, donate so that it happens and the causes get vital funds to make a significant difference. But, I’m not sure if I have the words to string together and do it.

Here goes anyway...

The monetary target is £6000. I appreciate this an awful lot but I figured that since jumping from 12,000ft (approx.) will make my face look like the shape of 50p throughout then it’s a fair target for every foot I fall. It is also a challenging figure to reach and one that I can’t just do alone. Most of all it will help hundreds of people 😁.

I would love to the raise the £6000 (and will) but that probably isn’t the most important thing here - I don’t just want that to be it! The real purpose is to make this a journey where the issues that cause people to need these services are highlighted, explained, discussed and hopefully understood by us all to a greater extent. I will update this page regular with the thoughts, feelings and no doubt thanks of people this directly impacts. My words won’t matter then, your heart will tell you to donate 😂 and there will be a feeling that while we all lead different lives, the struggles we face doing so are remarkably similar and relatable. For that, and if we all just care about each other a little more, I’ll happily throw myself out of a plane while saying a quick prayer.

There is no doubt that I’m not alone in feeling like the sight of somebody sleeping rough on the streets of our towns and cities is becoming all-too-familiar because, put simply, it is! Homelessness is rising and those sleeping bags and ‘bodies’ grow day-by-day. That just can’t be right in 2018 and as the recent figures from Shelter in this article show that those everyday visions are just the tip of iceberg: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/nov/08/one-in-every-200-people-in-uk-are-homeless-according-to-shelter.

It probably can’t get any starker than sleeping rough with just one set of clothes (or not even that) in the pouring rain but the issue, as I keep learning, is much wider than that. It touches all kind of bases.

Some people that know me personally will know that had things fallen differently and had I not been extremely fortunate to have the support network of friends and family around me that I could easily be that very position right now (if you’re reading this thinking I’m exaggerating I’m really not and we will probably cover that as the updates follow this initial post) which I guess is why it really gets to me?

The other side of this is that to some reading those last few words that will be a surprise. It will be a surprise because like many others the struggles I’ve had, I’ve tried my very best to hide.

The reasons for this are lengthy. Pride. Shame. Embarrassment. Fear. Loneliness. They’re all part responsible. And there will be other reasons I can’t quite think of right now but I have always felt that hiding these things was a requirement and the ‘tough’ thing to do. If you/things look great then it’s better for everyone?

Suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the UK and I’m pretty sure that thought is common in many of the stories of people taking their own lives - particularly men.

While I can’t relate directly to the darkest of thoughts I can definitely appreciate the work ANDYSMANCLUB are trying to do in halving that statistic by giving men a place to talk as a group about their feelings well before this point or, indeed, during. Spreading the message that #ITSOKAYTOTALK 👌🏻.

So, in brief, they’re my reasons for doing this and supporting both @shelter & @andysmanclubuk.

Thanks for reading and I’ll update this with all sorts as time goes on but if you’d like to know more head to www.shelter.org.uk and www.andysmanclub.co.uk. Even greater thanks if you’ve donated to make it possible - I really appreciate it. Hundreds of others will appreciate it even more!

Feel free to post any questions too. Let’s do this.

Much love,

Kaine x

http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/how-to-help-someone-with-depression

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-leeds-38379553/andy-s-man-club-men-s-group-tackling-mental-health

http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/interview-luke-ambler-huddersfields-new-13028449

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness

https://www.bowery.org/homelessness/tips-help-homeless/