AS a Shelter supporter, I was devastated to discover that there are almost 500 homeless families in Hillingdon.

As a father and someone who’s passionate about the impact that a safe, stable and decent home can have, it’s upsetting to hear that so many children are living in temporary accommodation.

Unable to keep up with high housing costs and a shrinking supply of affordable homes, people’s lives are being turned upside down.

In Hillingdon, the number of families forced to live in places such as hostels and emergency B&Bs is 26% higher than five years ago.

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No-one should be left without a place to call home. That’s why I’m supporting the 10th anniversary of Vertical Rush, Shelter’s tower-running challenge at London’s Tower 42, on March 15.

The charity aims to raise £300,000 to help anyone facing homelessness. Despite Shelter’s hard work for more than 50 years, London continues to face a housing crisis, with a family made homeless every 39 minutes in the capital.

But your readers could make a difference in just 10 minutes. I made it up the staggering 932 steps of Tower 42 in just nine and half minutes.

So, as Vertical Rush turns 10, I’m challenging the people of Hillingdon to complete the tower run and beat my time.

Sign-up at www.shelter.org.uk/verticalrush to take on the Tower.  With your support, Shelter can be there for even more families fighting homelessness.

George Clarke

Shelter Ambassador

Source: DCLG Homelessness statistics, detailed local level responses, Q3 2017 compared to Q3 2012.