On Sunday, 3rd May 2026, Jamie Crabb and Poppy Jamanwill be running the Worthing Half Marathon to raise money for the Brighton & Hove Care Leavers Christmas Dinner Project.

Driven by their own experiences in state care, Shalyce Lawrence and Jerome Harvey-Agyei co-founded The Topé Project to provide the first "Christmas Day" event for young people who would otherwise be alone in commemoration of his friend Topé which aimed to bring together care leavers, create positive memories and inspire them. As Jerome reflects "when you leave care, that's when you realise life is only going to get scarier. And Christmas is the day when you're reminded you don't have a family." For both Shalyce and Jerome it's about more than just a meal; it’s about fostering change and providing the "over-nurturing", the care, connection and community that every care leaver deserves.

The poet, memoirist playwright curator and broadcaster Lemn Sissay, envisioned the Gold from the Stone Foundation. With a mission to ensure no young care leaver feels alone on Christmas Day GRTSF supports communities of volunteers across the UK to create extraordinary Christmas Dinners which gift the joy of belonging. The Christmas Dinners offer a warm welcome, a beautifully prepared meal, gifts, hairdressing, creative activities, entertainment, and above all a sense of belonging, to those who may otherwise be alone on Christmas Day.

Since 2013, there have been 155 Christmas Dinners in 35 towns and cities, reaching 7,500 care-experienced young people. However, there has not be an event in Brighton & Hove for our Care Experienced young people for over 7 years. Support us in making this a reality in Brighton & Hove on Christmas Day 2026 and onwards.

As a Care Experienced person and therapist recognising the power of connection, running for this project is close to Jamie's heart. For Poppy this work also feels incredibly personal, having spent much of her life working in mental health and supporting people to feel less alone, so being part of this project here in Brighton really matters to me.

It would mean a lot if you could support us, whether that’s cheering us on, making a donation, or sharing this with others to help spread the word about this important project.

We are in the process of organising the Christmas Dinner 2026 event - we have almost secured a location and will be needing support of local organisations, volunteers and funding to make the event happen. We're excited to create a memorable and uplifting event for Brighton's care experienced young people this year and for years to come!

You can read more about the project on our the Brighton and Hove Xmas Dinner website.

14 months ago Jamie had never run any sort of distance, but has very much caught the bug. This will be my second half marathon this year!

Poppy meanwhile, has gone from running very short distances as recently as 2024, up to last year when she completed the Brighton Marathon wearing a saree and raising over £6,000 for nursing scholarships for young women in Bangladesh.

It would be wonderful if you could support us in helping this important project by cheering us on, making a donation and sharing with others to spread the word about this project!

Jamie Crabb & Poppy Jaman ⭐

Any leftover funds will be donated to the Care Leavers Association, a charity who bring together the voices and experiences of care leavers to support care leavers of all ages in the UK.