‘Youth violence is on the rise.. kids are carrying knives.. Young people have no respect.. Young people have no aspiration...’

We’ve all seen the headlines.. we’ve maybe seen things that make our hearts sink. But how many do something to tangibly fully invest everything into changing young people’s future.. support their communities.. give young people a safe place to hang out, to give young people positive role models, give young people hope and aspiration to build futures of their own.. businesses of their own. John Street and all the team of Free@Last do!

This year sees 25 years of Free@Last.. Their building in Nechells, a deprived inner city area, is incredible. It provides a safe centre with a multitude of activities for young people, a place for young families to go to.. a place where the community can come every year for their free Christmas Dinner on Christmas Day. They take young people away on residentials - getting them into the great outdoors away from the city.

They have wonderful youth workers providing a safe ear for young people and a positive role model.

But money is always needed to keep this amazing organisation operating. I know through my own work how exhausting it is to keep funds and grants coming in, just so this amazing work can be provided.

So here’s where the ask is..

In November - I will be flying out to Morocco with a small team to climb the highest mountain in North Africa - Mount Toubkal. It will be a huge challenge for me - staying on the mountainside overnight and climbing in the dark. This is not my natural habitat at all and I’ve already got injured in training. But I will do it no matter what. Please make the pain and a lot of mental barriers to break through worth it. My target is really modest - just £1000. If I can smash it - that would be incredible. Let’s all play our part to help change the worrying trends we are seeing in young people. All of us can do something - even if it’s just donating to keep an amazing charity like Free@Last running 🙏🏽 Thank you ❤️❤️

Ps - Costs for flights etc are all coming out my own pocket so 100% money raised goes to the charity