Hey! I'm Elliott and I'm 9 years old.  I have lived in Southend my whole life and I love it here.   I know how lucky I am to have a roof over my head and a hot meal every night,  especially in these cold winter months.   I would like to do something for those people who are not so lucky as me who don't always have somewhere to go or something to eat.  I want to support a local charity that we can see for ourselves the good work that they do to support people affected by homelessness.  

Homelessness can happen to anyone and when I see people in need on the streets and in the high street I want to give them my sweets or pocket money to help them out.  And that's when I thought it'd be a good idea to do something a little bit more.   

I came up with a challenge for myself (and my family!) to walk a Marathon in the month of January 🚶‍♂️.  That's on average a mile a day but I'm already succeeding this and averaging 1.7miles a day 😊.  So far I've encountered snow, horizontal rain and freezing temperatures but each day I'm finding new routes and enjoying the challenge of doing something new and hopefully inspiring to others.  

I hope to raise £100 for HARP and raise awareness that anyone at any time can be in need of a place to stay and that HARP (and their volunteers)  are always there to support you.  

HARP, Southend's homeless charity, helps local people overcome homeless for good. We provide access to accommodation, support and educational, confidence boosting activities to give local homeless people the best chance of leaving the streets behind. On average, we assist over 1,000 people every year who are either homeless or at risk of homelessness. We rely on the fantastic support of the public to carry on with our work. Thank you for supporting HARP and helping us to change lives.