This post is a little late but the training run of Week 20 was along Brighton Sea front last Sunday morning before the UNISON Community conference. It was only a 30 minute run towards Hove and back but you cannot beat running alongside the sea side when it is cold, damp and windy. Especially if you are trying to get rid of a sore head from the night before. But what was not at all good was the number of homeless men I ran past sleeping rough in Promenade shelters and shop doorways. Some of them looked very, very young. I've slept outdoors in winter when I was younger but that was usually wearing waterproof clothing in proper tents with warm sleeping bags and gas cookers. The relatively large number (I think 5) of homeless men (didn't see any women) sleeping rough along the beach looked tired, cold, wet, dishevelled and frankly miserable.
I was conscious that I was at a housing related conference, staying in a nice hotel, looking foreword to a hot shower, clean clothes and cooked breakfast after my completely self indulgent run.
While I hope the political motion at the conference about greater income equality may do some good in the long term in the meanwhile I am glad that I will be running the London Marathon for a charity set up to prevent young people becoming homeless and helping them if they do. Check out "Alone in London". Click here to sponsor me on the Justgiving
website.
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