...I said as I popped in an application form. Slightly regretting saying it would be easy now - see blog and updates section! Yes, a three-question application form was all it took to change the shape of my whole year!

I've looked at the Lloyds Banking Group signature charity challenge every year for the past few years - I like a good physical challenge and they always look pretty fun - but there's always been something else going on in my life which has put me off committing.

This year I "only" had a triathlon booked in, which apparently wasn't enough alongside also being a taxi service (two boys aged 5 and 6), playing in a couple of badminton teams and finishing off a 2 year apprenticeship, and so I find myself in a situation where I also need to raise £4k and train for a high altitude 3-day trek!

So, from the 20th - 25th September I'll be trekking up Mount Toubkal in aid of Crisis. Mount Toubkal is the highest peak in North Africa and is located in Morocco. Standing at 4,167m tall, it's 3x the size of Ben Nevis and 4x the size of Skiddaw, my personal "highest mountain climbed" record - a mere 931m!

About Crisis

Crisis, the national charity for people experiencing homelessness, help people out of homelessness and campaign for the changes needed to solve it altogether.

I'll be honest, I didn't know too much about Crisis until this adventure began. But here are some stats that make you think:

1. Rough sleeping has increased in England by 26% in the past year

2. Nearly a quarter of a million households across England are now experiencing the worst forms of homelessness. That includes rough sleeping, sofa surfing and staying in unsuitable temporary accommodation like B&Bs.

3. During Christmas 2023, Crisis took over three hotels across London that accommodated more than 400 people who would otherwise have been sleeping rough, with 7,000 in total supported across other services.

It's easy to take a roof over your head for granted and I would really appreciate your support in reaching my £4k target.

Thank you.

About the Lloyds Banking Group and Crisis charity partnership

Crisis, Simon Community and Lloyds Banking Group believe everyone should have a safe and secure place to call home.

Since the partnership began in April 2023 LBG colleagues have hit the ground running, raising £1.3 million before the year was out.

This is just the beginning. 2024's Signature Challenge, will see me and 119 fellow LBG colleagues take on Toubkal and support the hundreds of thousands of households across the UK facing homelessness

An iconic but challenging trek that will see me ascend the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains!

Together let's end homelessness.