PLEASE SPONSOR ME!! My Charity in the UK – CRISIS

Now, why am I doing this blog and recounting my running exploits for you all to read?

Well, I’m not doing this to record my memoirs for my one-day best selling autobiography (although it’s conceivably not out of the question…), but rather because I’m going to be hitting you all up for money!! :o)

I’m running the London Marathon for Crisis, who are a UK charity that helps homeless people in the UK. Mel has volunteered for Crisis Christmas (see below) for the past 3 years as both a general volunteer and in the kitchens. I volunteered for the first time last Christmas (2008) also in the kitchens. Heaps of other friends have also volunteered and all agree that the work that goes on is pretty amazing. Working as part of a small team to help produce meals for a few hundred guests plus a couple hundred more volunteers is quite a task, but fortunately the head chefs weren’t Gordon Ramsay wannabies shouting and swearing at us. It was a great experience and if you’ve never done it, I’d highly recommend volunteering for Crisis Christmas 2009 (registration is usually open from October).

You can find my page to donate here via JustGiving (www.justgiving.com/claytonryan). If you are a UK taxpayer please remember to tick the “gift aid” option so that Crisis will get an extra 28% from Gordon Brown – such a generous fellow!

You can find out more about Crisis here, or you can read on…

Crisis Skylight
Our Crisis Skylights offer a variety of activities for homeless people and the general public. Our first Skylight is based at Crisis head office in east London. Our second Skylight is in Newcastle.

Crisis Christmas
Crisis opens seven centres between 23 - 30 December offering homeless or vulnerably housed people companionship, access to essential services, learning opportunities
and a programme of entertainment.

Skylight Cafe
In our welcoming cafe at 64 Commercial Street you'll find tasty food, refreshing drinks, great art, and an inspiring space. Most of all the cafe offers a route into work for homeless people.

Crisis Supportive Housing Model
A new model for sustainable communities. The Crisis Supportive Housing model provides innovative solutions to homelessness while creating high quality, affordable homes for low-income essential workers, and formerly homeless adults. Crisis is seeking to develop projects using this model.

Crisis Changing Lives Awards
Crisis provides grants of up to £2,500 to help homeless people move towards a work-based, vocational goal. The money can be used to fund training, or buy equipment needed to find work or set up a business.

The Learning Zone
The project provides free courses and study support for homeless people in many subjects. Come along and learn in small, friendly classes. All the courses lead to an accredited qualification.
Crisis Connect
Crisis Connect is the national advisory body for deposit schemes. We support the development of schemes through research, training and events. We also support the nationwide network of best practice SmartMove deposit schemes.

Crisis campaigns, policy and research
In addition to the projects and services listed above, Crisis also campaigns, and develops policy and research on homelessness.