When I first moved to Reading five years ago it had one of the highest rates of homelessness in the South East. It was heartbreaking, and visible everywhere you went.

In the last few years the number of rough sleepers and homeless individuals has decreased significantly because of the incredible work of Launchpad, a small team that does amazing work in the local community to help vulnerable individuals and families who have lost or are at risking of losing their home get back on their feet.

Most of the people that Launchpad help have special educational needs or disabilities, are victims of domestic abuse or are leaving care or prison, or are struggling with issues such as addiction, debt management, poor mental health and numeracy and literacy.

And Launchpad does everything in their power to help them. They offer drop-in support for anyone who needs it, legal advice for people at immediate risk of losing their homes, and in-depth support to address the root cause of an individual’s homelessness and help them sustain a long-term home.

They provide temporary accommodation for up to 100 homeless individuals and families, as well as long-term accommodation for those who are most in need.

They also help these people to rebuild their lives, teaching them core skills like cooking, DIY, financial literacy and IT training. They help them to create CVs, build up their confidence, and fund the cost of transport and clothes for interviews.

They offer therapy and counselling, and help people escape from their situations for a few hours through gardening, painting, fishing, music, or by offering beauty treatments that make women look and feel more like themselves.

They also work through the night, particularly in the winter months, to get rough sleepers off the streets and into a safe environment.

In short, they do everything. And they have helped over 1000 individuals and families in the last year alone.

But there is still so much more to do. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic they have seen a huge increase in people needing help because they are fleeing domestic violence, or because they have been forced to leave their homes. They are expecting another influx of people needing help when the furlough scheme ends at the end of September.

More and more people are needing Launchpad’s help, and they are a small, local charity who rely on donations to carry on their incredible work. This is why I’ve decided to raise as much money as I can for this incredible organisation.

Thank you so much for your support – I will buy all of you a drink if I survive the race!

Lots of love,

Becky x