In September I will be tackling my 3rd marathon in Berlin. It will be a particularly special one as it is the 50th anniversary of this world major and is where my extended family live!

I am running in support of the charity "The Passage".

The Passage's vision is of a society where street homelessness no longer exists and everyone has a place to call home.

Homelessness affects millions of people worldwide and in England alone there are an estimated 270,000 people who are homeless, including 123,000 children.

I'm passionate about supporting people who are living without a fixed address. In my circa 2000 Uni days we set up a volunteer group that went out weekly to the city center to offer warm tea/coffee, biscuits and a friendly chat to rough sleepers.

In my working life I can see the serious impact a lack of reliable accommodation can have on a person's physical and mental health, especially here in the North East of England where the weather can be very unforgiving.

In the past year I have been involved with focused research work looking at how this devastating life situation acts as a major barrier to accessing healthcare.

The Passage provides practical support and a wide range of services to help people who are, or are at risk of, street homelessness, along with helping victims of modern slavery.

I recognize my own privilege to have a reliable roof over my head every night - to then be able to embark on this marathon journey.

Thank you in advance for any donation you feel able to make to support the work of this somewhat lesser known but important charity.

Quynh x