I will soon be undertaking a number of physical challenges to raise awareness of a very complex and difficult condition that my beloved Dad suffers with; chronic hoarding.

Since my Mum passed away nearly 20 years ago, my Dad has lived alone and over this time his mental health has declined and his hoarding has accelerated to the point where his home has become completely floor to ceiling full, inaccessible, and sadly unliveable. This was further exacerbated by him being diagnosed with early onset dementia in late 2024. The unsustainable situation reached a head in early 2025 when he was sadly hospitalised.

For those who have met and know my Dad, they will know his generosity knows no limits, and will also no doubt have been educated at length by his encyclopaedic knowledge of all manner of things! He is truly unique and always wants to support people.

As his only child, I am determined to do the right thing and do everything I can to help him. I have spent the last 3 months to date supporting him through this difficult time whilst working tirelessly alongside professional teams to clear his house and bring his house back to life.

Along this journey I have received amazing support from his neighbours, friends, professional clearance and cleaning teams and have built a strong relationship with Heather Matuozzo, founder of Clouds End.

Clouds End CIC is the first social enterprise in the UK to work with people who hoard. Their aim is to help people to understand why people hoard and how it affects them with a view to working effectively together through training and self-education.

Clouds Ends have provided funding for skips and remain a source of guidance and strength for my Dad and myself.

As a result I am hoping to raise funds for Heather and her team to enable them to continue their pioneering work through practical assistance, education, training and numerous support groups.

My upcoming challenges:

AJ Bell Birmingham Half Marathon (Running) - 13.1 miles Sunday 4th May

Royal Sutton Coldfield Fun Run (Running) - 8.5 miles Sunday 1st June

St Giles Spring Ride - Whittington (Cycling) - 100 miles Sunday 8th June

The Dragon Ride - Port Talbot Wales (Cycling) - 100 mile Medio Fondo route (includes 2,233m of climbing) Sunday 22nd June.

After each event, I will share my Strava data and an update on how it went.

All donations are greatly appreciated, many thanks for your support.

Dino