If you’ve missed live events as much as we have, take part in the Race To End Homelessness (formerly known as Crisis Square Mile Run) this summer and be part of our triumphant return to in-person challenge events.   

The Race to End Homelessness is kind of a big deal. In our team, holidays are booked around it, weddings even…   

The Community & Events team have a fantastic portfolio of fundraising initiatives and events. As long-standing member of the team, I’ve enjoyed working on many of them, but for me, nothing quite compares to the atmosphere on the day at the Race to End Homelessness.  

So, what’s so special about the Race to End Homelessness?  

It’s the early starts, the complicated coffee order, the heavy lifting and table shifting, the cable ties, the “whose got the scissors?” and “have you seen the…”, the sunshine (it’s always sunny on event day!), the race numbers and safety pins, the bag drop,  the grass outside the Tate modern becoming a sea of red t-shirts, the moving over to the starting line, the sound of the air horn signalling the start of the race…  

It’s all of that, of course.   
 
But it’s mainly the people.  

Being together as the Community & Events team, surrounded by so many hundreds of people who feel as passionately as we do about ending homeless for good, is a feeling you can’t replicate on Zoom.  

It’s the competitive runners chasing a personal best and the new runners challenging themselves for the first time. The imaginative warmups and the questionable stretching techniques. The relay teams made up of 3 keen and 1 reluctant runner, and their creative names – We thought they said rum! It’s the cheering, the high-fives, the first sip of a celebratory drink at the pub afterwards.  It’s the volunteers who come back year after year, and who work so tirelessly to ensure that the event runs smoothly. It’s our colleagues who come from Skylight services across the UK to bring teams of Crisis members to take part and remind us what it’s all for.  

It’s the feeling of being together and the sense of achievement, not only for the runners after completing the race but for all of us, knowing the long-lasting impact the funds raised will have helping people who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.  

Live events are the lifeblood of our team. After two years away, we’re excited to get back out there. 
 
We hope you can join us this June at the Race to End Homelessness!