Two men are due to take part in a sponsored abseil to raise money for the King’s Lynn Night Shelter for the homeless.
Martin has benefited from the support of the King’s Lynn Night Shelter. He was homeless before lockdown in 2020 and explained his reasons for getting involved in the abseil challenge;
“The reason behind the sponsored abseil is because just before the first lockdown, I myself was homeless and at that stage living in my car before I was found by an outreach team who were able to get me into the night shelter before going into emergency accommodation, supported housing and finally to independent living again.”
“Having been given the opportunity to turn my life around I went back and worked for the Night Shelter both as a way of giving back and also being able to talk to the guests from a position of experience and understanding. I have gone through many of the same things that they are going through and I am living proof that it is possible to turn things around and enjoy a good quality of life again.”
Martin will be taking part in the abseil alongside Gordon. Martin says;
“Gordon will be key in keeping me calm and focused so that we can complete this challenge. I wanted to pick this challenge as it is both different and will push me well out of my comfort zone. I became disabled after an accident whilst serving in the Royal Navy so getting to the top will not be easy in itself but my accident was also height-related so getting down again will not be easy which is why Gordon is so important to this challenge. Homelessness is a significant problem and can happen to absolutely anyone so raising funds and awareness for such an important and worthwhile cause is obviously close to both of our hearts and all involved with this challenge.”
Lucy McKitterick is the King’s Lynn Night Shelter Co-ordinator, she says;
“We’re very grateful to Gordon and Martin for choosing the Night Shelter to support through this exciting adventure this summer, we hope they’ll have a great experience and come home from Olympic Park glad they braved the day! Their fundraising work is especially appreciated at this time as the Night Shelter closed on 30th June for summer maintenance and fundraising before we reopen in October: any donations given in sponsorship will go directly towards making sure we are open for our homeless guests again this autumn. Thank you to everyone who has supported this event so far!”
To find out more about the King’s Lynn Night Shelter, please follow this link: King’s Lynn Night Shelter