Future Faces committee member to take on major trek challenge

A Future Faces committee member will be taking on the challenge of trekking 100km across the Sahara Desert for Crisis UK, to raise money to end homelessness.

Hannah Ellis (pictured), Area Support Manager at Lloyds Bank, will be taking on the challenge with the target of raising £4k for the charity across the rest of this year. She will be completing the Trek alongside 90 colleagues, and with Lloyds Bank matching their fundraising, the team are hoping to be able to donate c. 750k to Crisis UK.

As part of this fundraising Future Faces as an organisation have donated a year’s membership for Hannah to raffle to young professionals in the region. This will officially be launched at one of the upcoming events.

There was a 10 per cent increase in youth homelessness in the years 2023 – 2024, showing that homelessness among individuals under 30 is escalating, influenced by factors such as economic pressures and housing shortages.

Speaking about her motivation for the trek, Hannah said: “Growing up and through my education and career, I have not had a fear of homelessness, something that can not be taken for granted. I have friends who have not been so fortunate and listening to their experiences and knowing how much charities and government funding can support young people/ young families motivated me to sign up for this trek.

“The average age for first-time homebuyers in England has been steadily increasing, this is influenced by the increased cost of housing, the need for larger deposits and wage growth not keeping pace with property prices. In 2023 the average house price was 8.6 times the average annual disposable household income, the affordability ratio has nearly doubled since 1999 (4.4 times). Owning property is becoming increasingly more difficult, removing a layer of stability from where we were 25 years ago.

“With matched giving the trek should raise nearly three quarters of a million pounds and I can’t wait to be a part of that.”

If you would like to donate towards Hannah’s cause, you can do so via the JustGiving page.