This January the Board Support Team are taking part in the Turning Tides 11 in January challenge; a challenge designed to shine a light on the daily reality faced by people experiencing homelessness.
Turning Tides say that a person who is rough sleeping walks an average of 11 miles every day searching for warmth, safety, food, and somewhere to rest without fear. To raise awareness of just how physically and mentally demanding this is, Turning Tides asked fundraisers to take on a daily activity that included the number 11.
For our part, the Board Support Team challenged themselves to walk 11,000 steps a day, holding each other to account with daily photos of their step counts alongside vital words of encouragement. So, how did we get on? Let’s find out.
Reflections from Vic
When I saw the email from Turning Tides about the 11 in January challenge, I knew participating would be a great way for us to start the year as a team.
Last year my teenagers supported their school in collecting essential items to help furnish the new Turning Tides service opening locally to us. It seemed only fair that I do my bit too. As someone who was born and raised in Worthing, I’ve been aware of Turning Tides and the brilliant work that the charity does for a long time. I remember when their service in Byron Road opened (which makes me feel old!) and to see how their provision has grown and developed, is quite awe inspiring really.
Fitting in 11K steps consistently every day, no matter how much I might want to stay warm on the sofa eating Christmas chocolates, has been eye opening. We decided on 11K steps as it seemed achievable, and it was roughly 5 and a half miles – half of the average distance a person experiencing homelessness would walk each day. The hardest thing for me has been the relentlessness of doing it in January! The weather has been awful, and although the distance isn’t too great it feels so much longer in the freezing cold and pouring rain.
This challenge has filled me with gratitude for my home, my family and my wonderful team mates at work. It also makes me extremely proud to be part of the community in West Sussex, where kindness and support are available for those that need it through charities like Turning Tides.
Reflections from Aimee
January is a time when many of us set goals for the year ahead. This year I’ve set myself the biggest challenge I’ve probably ever had – to run the London Marathon.
With my training already underway, taking part in the Turning Tides 11 in January challenge made complete sense – 11,000 steps a day every day in January, raising money and awareness for this incredible charity. Naively, I thought this would be easy. But I hadn’t considered all the things that would make reaching that daily step count more difficult - weather warnings for snow and ice, the increased risk of falls or injuries, or those days where my body was just exhausted and in need of rest in between training runs.
As the month went on, I started to think more deeply about what this challenge represents. On average, a homeless person walks 11 miles per day to find shelter and safety, with no choice but to just keep going, whatever the weather. They don’t have the option to rest their tired legs, or wait until a day where they feel more physically able. They just have to keep moving.
This motivated me to keep moving. On the cold, dark mornings, I thought about the people Turning Tides support, who face those same conditions every single day, without a warm home to return to afterwards.
Turning Tides do truly life-changing work, providing vital support, accommodation and hope to people experiencing homelessness in our community. I am proud of my team for completing this challenge and raising awareness of the amazing work of Turning Tides, who are turning lives around, one step at a time.
Reflections from Laura
When Vic asked me, during that festive period known as ‘Twixmas (fuelled by festive cheer, cheese, and No’secco) I thought, sure, 11,000 steps, how hard can it be? It turns out, pretty hard. And that’s only half of the average distance walked by a person rough sleeping each day.
But, aside from the physical challenge of walking those 11,000 steps, particularly during those cold, and at times, snowy January days, I came to an important realisation. I’m not sure I would have met the challenge without my trusty canine companions by my side. For a large portion of those 11,000 steps, Marmalade and Mabel were by my side, spurring me on, and keeping me company. Which really highlighted to me how important pets are to the homeless community. This is where StreetVet comes in.
Turning Tides works with StreetVet, a multi award-winning charity delivering free essential veterinary care and services to the pets of people experiencing homelessness around the UK. In fact, a number of Turning Tides’ services are StreetVet approved, meaning that people experiencing homelessness can access veterinary care for their loyal companions.
According to the StreetVet website, “around 320,000 people are currently experiencing homelessness in the UK and anywhere from 5% to 25% of them are homeless with a pet […] Research has shown that fewer than 7% of homeless pet owners would give up their dog in exchange for housing, yet only 10% of all UK hostel projects currently accept pets.” (StreetVet, 2026).
I’ll be honest, when I think about the long list of challenges faced by people experiencing homelessness, the experience of their pets, and the vital role that pets play in their lives, was never something I really considered. But now I will. So, this is a thanks to Turning Tides for opening my eyes to the valuable work not only that they do with their StreetVet accredited services, but also the work undertaken by StreetVet across the country.
