By Lucy Caulkett-
An impressive 10 year old child has raised nearly £1,000 for the homeless after running 26 miles.
Thomas Wilson began the Step Forward Challenge where he ran 26 miles in a month to raise money for Crisis, the national charity for homeless people.
The initiative behind the run began after Thomas met a homeless man called Dean outside a supermarket while out shopping with his mum, Clare.
Young Thomas was so inspired by Dean’s story about how he came to be on the streets, that he ran a half-marathon to raise funds for homeless charity Crisis. However, this year he decided to go one step further and run a whole marathon.
He began completing some of his runs on the treadmill , and completed others outdoors. The pupil of St Mary’s RC Primary School, in Sabden, had an initial aim of raising £150, but he smashed the target and in total has raised over £900 for the worthwhile cause.
His proud mother, Claire told The Eye Of Media.Com: “The entire family is so proud of Thomas for wanting to do this challenge. He is a big hearted and determined child.
Running 26 miles in a month to raise that amount was amazing. It is good when children are able to make such sacrifices for a good cause. It is also important for developing the qualities of discipline.
News of Thomas’s laudable charity run comes as The director of Barons Court Project (BCP), a homeless charity based in Hammersmith & Fulham- Barons Court Project (BCP) expressed concern about flaws in the existing approach to homelessness and provided an alternative system.
He said: “We have known this all along. If you give someone a roof over their heads and a warm bed, they can turn their life around.”
He added: “It can happen to anyone, and many of those with substance issues develop them after losing their home.”
A Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report claimed the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) vastly underestimates homeless numbers.
The MHCLG estimated 4,266 people were homeless in March 2020, but had housed 37,430 by January 2021.
Angus discredited the system of establishing the number of homeless people. He said: “They send someone out to count the number on a given night which is a very unscientific method.
“A lot of rough sleepers aren’t on the streets and don’t want to be seen in case they are attacked.”
The Home Office’s plan to deport non-UK homeless will only pour fuel on the fire, Angus added.
He said: “People will be afraid to come to us even though we don’t share their identities, and they will be afraid to seek medical attention.
“This approach is needlessly punitive and would cause a slew of additional problems.”