Hi, my names Michael and I am taking part in the Brighton Marathon in September all in aid of Stonepillow.

I found myself homeless back in July 2020 and this is when I
found the help of Stonepillow. I was moved into the Bognor Hostel where I began
my journey and was a resident for 7 months.

During this time, I was able to get back on my feet again
with the wonderful help and support of the brilliant staff who worked there. I
was able to find Recovery whilst at the hostel with the support of the staff there
and I am truly grateful for what the service has done for me.

I was able to rebuild my confidence through the support I
received, and I was then able to go a volunteer at the Stonepillow shop which
allowed me to give something back.

I have found myself at a loose end when the gyms had to shut
due to the national lockdown, so I decided to take up running to keep myself
fit and healthy. I found this really helped with my mental health and kept me
focused even when the uncertainty of COVID was looming over us.

The staff spoke to me about another project that is part of
Stonepillow that solely works with people in Recovery called Stonepillow
Recovery Service, Sands project. I decided that this would be my next step to
take in my recovery and I am now living within the service where I am receiving
the support, I need from the staff to continue my journey of recovery. 

The reason behind wanting to do this marathon is that I want
to give back to Stonepillow as they have been excellent in supporting me during
a challenging time of my life. I would love to raise as much money as possible
and raise as much awareness about this brilliant charity with the hope that
they are able to continue supporting people who find themselves homeless and in
need of support. This will be my first marathon and I am very proud to be
running it on behalf of Stonepillow, and to be able to give something back to
the charity that has given me so much.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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