Man United’s Brandon Williams and former Corrie star, Kimberly Hart-Simpson back the fight for home by joining Shelter’s Raise Your Run

From 1 to 30 September 2021, homelessness charity Shelter is encouraging thousands of runners of all abilities to go the extra mile and fight housing injustice with a sponsored run.

Also lacing up their trainers to help raise vital funds are former Coronation Street actress Kimberly Hart-Simpson, Manchester United’s Brandon Williams, fitness model and personal trainer Alex Crockford, and model and presenter Shareefa J.

As part of Shelter’s virtual relay team, the stars are encouraging the public to join Shelter’s Fight for Home and hope to inspire people to get moving at the same time. Kimberly is best known for her role as Nicky Wheatley in ITV’s award-winning soap Coronation Street and will be swapping the cobbles for pounding the pavement as part of the challenge. She is joined by Manchester United’s rising star Brandon Williams who made his debut appearance for the team at just 19 years old. Shareefa J is at the forefront of promoting equality and this September will be joining the fight for social injustice alongside Alex Crockford who continues his mission to inspire and give people the tools to achieve a better-balanced life.

With more than 300,000 calls made to Shelter’s emergency helpline last year alone, the charity’s services and work to fight poor housing and homelessness remain as critical as ever. The latest government figures show a household becomes homeless every three minutes in England, and things could get even tougher for people in the months ahead.

By signing up to Raise Your Run and turning their kilometres into pounds, the public really can make a material difference. For example,  £5 could help fund a webchat for someone facing homelessness, £20 could pay for a call to the Shelter emergency helpline, £80 could pay for legal advice to help a family in crisis keep their home. Talking about why they are getting involved:

Kimberly Hart-Simpson said: “I’m so excited to be part of this relay team and joining Shelter’s fight for home. The last year has been hard for so many people, but particularly those without a safe and secure home. Please support our team and join Raise Your Run to help those facing homelessness now.”

Brandon Williams, said: “The majority of us have been lucky enough to have a secure home throughout the pandemic, but that’s not been the case for everyone. I’m joining Raise Your Run to help Shelter’s emergency services continue to support those facing homelessness now and in the future. Fitness is already a huge part of my life, so I can’t wait to get out there and start clocking some miles for this important cause!”

Alex Crockford said: “I’m delighted to be joining this team! This event is for everyone – whether you’re a seasoned pro or are completely new to running, not only is it a great way to challenge yourself, you’ll be helping Shelter support the people who need them the most. I’ll even be sharing some expert running tips so will be there with you every step of the way.”

Shareefa J said: “As well as showing us how essential a safe home is, the last year has been a reminder around the importance of self-care. Through no fault of their own, sadly many people have struggled with both during the pandemic. By signing up to Raise Your Run you can help those facing homelessness and set yourself some new goals. We all know the benefits exercise can have on your mental health, so let’s get those endorphins going!”

Whether someone wants to run on their own or as part of a team, Raise Your Run is free, open to everyone across England and Scotland, with no minimum sponsorship fee. You just need to sign up by 1 September 2021. For more information and to sign up, go to https://raiseyourrun.shelter.org.uk/.

ENDS