On the 6th of June 2026, I will be running 100km in the Lake District Ultra challenge. I wanted to set myself a challenge and completing an ultra-marathon will be a big one. However, I don’t want it to be wasted energy or entirely self-gratifying so I have chosen to raise money for CRISIS. I will also be volunteering regularly at Coffee4Craig; a Manchester run homelessness charity, which provides meals, shelter and vital resources to foster recovery and dignity.

Having suffered with alcohol addiction, substance abuse issues and mental health conditions for a number of years, it is only luck of the draw that I had the support networks in place to allow me to recover and not end up homeless.

Due, in part, to the advantages I had from birth, I'm sober today. During the past 2 years I have been working with other young men trying to get sober. Many of these are people have been similarly fortunate in having support networks that pointed them in the direction of help. For those who are not granted these same advantages and do not have the same safety nets this can often be where homelessness begins.

CRISIS UK aims to combat Homelessness in the UK through systemic change. But just as importantly they work with individuals by helping break the cycle that homelessness causes. They do this by prioritising those with complex needs, such as mental health issues or a history of trauma and helping with education, employment and one-to-one support.

As high as 2/3 of homeless people in the UK suffer from alcohol or substance misuse, with addiction rates 4× higher than in the general public. Multiple diagnosis of substance or alcohol abuse disorder and mental health issues are often a barrier to homeless people accessing the services that could be fundamental in starting their recovery. With 82% of homeless people having a mental health diagnosis, and 41% using drugs and alcohol to deal with that mental health issue, this problem is endemic.

For those who do not have as fortunate circumstances, please give generously.