Running the New Portsmouth Office and the Marathon!
As if opening and heading up our fifth office in Portsmouth at the end of last year wasn’t challenge enough, Nick Cusack (one of our licensed insolvency practitioners) will be running the London Marathon for Shelter on 24th April!
Unfortunately, in our line of work, we often come across people facing difficult financial situations, some might even be at risk of losing their homes. We do our best to help them avoid this, but without a supportive network of friends and loved ones, homelessness can be a very real threat.
Fortunately, when government resources are stretched, Shelter is there to pick up the pieces.
Households up and down the country are feeling the impact of the housing crisis, leading to some scary statistics:
- Almost 4 million working families in Britain could be just one pay-cheque away from losing their home
- Households that are renting privately in England pay, on average, 43% of their gross income on rent
- More than 80% of properties for sale in England are unaffordable for the average working family looking to buy their first home
- One in five (21%) private renters in Britain had to cut back on food in 2014 to pay their rent
Shelter offers advice, support and legal services to the homeless, people at risk of becoming homeless and people experiencing poverty and bad housing situations, as well as campaigning for change and tackling the root causes of the housing crisis.
Shelter’s free national helpline is open all year round to offer expert housing advice to anyone struggling with issues related to housing and homelessness – no matter what their situation. Just one call to the Shelter helpline can be the difference between somebody losing their home and keeping it.
How your support helps:
- £42 is all it takes for Shelter to help someone find and keep a home
- £5 could enable a helpline adviser to give advice to a family about to be evicted
- £10 could help give crucial advice to a family about to lose their home
- £15 could help negotiate a new mortgage payment scheme for parents who have lost their jobs
- £20 could help secure a grant for food and clothing for a family fleeing domestic violence
Shelter helped 4.5 million people last year – online, in person, and over the phone (calls to the helpline were up 12% on the previous year). For more information about Shelter advice centres and their specialist support services, please visit their website.
I’ll leave the last word to Nick…
“I know I have it good. I have a roof over my head, a rewarding career and people I can call upon in times of need. Not everyone is that lucky. I regularly offer advice and support to guide people through bankruptcy and other difficult financial situations, but I wanted to do something to support those who are beyond my professional help.
“I’ve been running for a couple of years now and so far my marathon training is going really well. I recently completed a 15-miler and aim to be at the 20-mile mark by the end of the month. If you’d like to sponsor me and support Shelter’s vision of a home for everyone, please visit my Virgin Money Giving page here: virginmoneygiving.com/nickonarun
“I really appreciate your support and thank you for any donations.”
Good luck with your training, Nick – we’re all very proud of you!
