Media and Public Speaking Kit

Pup & Girl
Perth to Adelaide
2023 solo run / 2690 kilometres / 44 days
Adelaide to Melbourne
2019 solo run / 750 kilometres / 10 days
#endhomelessness

Pup and Girl are Lee-Anne Lupton, and two border collies;

Aoife and Willow.

Quick facts about who:

-Lee-Anne is a single mother of four young adults and teenagers, a full-time librarian and part-time aerial yoga teacher and is DEAF. She is a passionate social justice advocate, and particularly invested in the idea that 'everyone with the capacity to do so, is responsible for the wellbeing of those around them.' Everyone has a part to play in ending homelessness.

-Aoife is a border collie x, who was training to be Lee-Anne's hearing dog before everyone realised she is a little too over-protective.

-Willow is a boarder collie x, who is too daft to be an official support dog but is a fabulous running companion.

- Both dogs act as Lee-Anne's ears while running, and are lovely company on a long run.

-In 2019 Aoife and Lee-Anne completed a solo multi-day run from Adelaide to Melbourne. 10 days / 748 kilometres - Aoife spent most of her time in the support vehicles, keeping a keen eye on Lee-Anne from the front passenger seat.

-In 2023 Aoife, Willow and Lee-Anne completed a solo multi-day run from Perth to Adelaide. 44 days / 2690 kilometres - Aoife and Willow were spoilt rotten, opting to run with Lee-Anne only when they had exhausted their supply of treats and pats in the support vehicles.

#PUBLIC SPEAKING

Lee-Anne is available on request to speak at a variety of events and settings...

Talking points...

- The unifying power of kindness

- Why homelessness is everyone's 'problem'

- How the stories we tell ourselves shape how we see ourselves and others

- What it takes to run more than 2000 kilometres

- Passionate advocacy can change the world

- Deafness in a hearing world / running deaf

- Epic distances as a 'non-athlete' - how to be taken seriously by men in sport

Testimonials...

'Can I firstly say that you were AMAZING! I was literally hanging on to every word you said as was everyone else!' - Jaylee

'I heard some great feedback from women who attended – they told me:

“Wow! What a woman!!!”

“She’s such a great speaker"

“I really enjoyed Lee-Anne speaking. She is SO amazing!”

Your story is so very inspiring and your public speaking style is extremely approachable, entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable. Again, thank you – we were so lucky to have you with us' - Tammy

Purpose

Encourage kindness and compassion

When those experiencing homelessness are asked what can community members to do help, the reply is resounding familiar, Simply Be kind. Kindness is a rare commodity for those who are unhoused. Unspeakable acts of violence and disrespect occur to people who are unhoused daily and often the act of kindness one shows, is the only sharing of humanity experienced throughout the day.

More Info

Challenge perceptions about homelessness - who / how / why

Sometimes we see the chicken before the egg - 'Being homeless puts an individual at increased risk of many health problems including psychiatric illness, substance use, chronic disease, musculoskeletal disorders, skin and foot problems, poor oral health, and infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis C and HIV infection'

...and when we stumble across a person experiencing homelessness who might display the issues above we assume that what we see is the cause, rather than the consequence.

More Info

Raise funds for organisations that assist on the frontline

Many non-profits regularly report that they are finding it harder to acquire new donors, harder to hang on to the donors they already have, challenging to maintain a regular stream of content for social media, and tough to maintain a satisfactory level of public profile in a crowded and competitive world where many non-profits voices are all shouting out at the same time. When run well, fundraising events are able to directly address all of these challenges.

All funds raised go directly to:

-Catherine House

-Hutt St Centre

-Fred's Van

-Orange Sky

More Info

Why..?

** information courtesy of Launch Housing / https://www.launchhousing.org.au

The latest Australian Homelessness Monitor shows that rising homelessness continues to outstrip Australia’s growing population..

Across Australia, the average monthly number of specialist homelessness service (SHS) users grew from 84,800 people in 2017-18 to 91,300 people in 2021-22. This represents a rise of 8%, which is double the current growth rate of new households forming each year.

The number of people experiencing homelessness has changed drastically across different parts of Australia. While South Australian numbers have remained about the same for 4 years now, there has been a 24% increase in homeless people in Tasmania and a 22% increase in homeless people in Queensland.

Nationally, since 2017-18 homelessness (SHS service users) has grown at double the rate in regional Australia as in capital cities (13% compared with 6%); numbers have increased fastest in regional Queensland (up 29%) and in regional Western Australia (up 35%).

Australia-wide, housing affordability has been one of the fastest growing causes for homelessness to date; from 4 years ago up until 2021-22, the average monthly number of SHS service users who experience this issue in triggering their need for help has risen by 27%.

2021 Census DATA

Key statistics

122,494 people were estimated to be experiencing homelessness on Census night in 2021.
Males made up 55.9% of people experiencing homelessness; females made up 44.1%.
23.0% of all people experiencing homelessness were aged from 12 to 24 years.

Overview

122,494 people were estimated to be experiencing homelessness at the time of the 2021 Census, an increase of 6,067 people (5.2%) since 2016. The rate of homelessness decreased to 48 people per 10,000, from 50 in 2016.

Of those experiencing homelessness in 2021:

68,516 (55.9%) were male, an increase of 1.6% from 2016
53,974 (44.1%) were female, an increase of 10.1% from 2016.

Females accounted for 81.7% of the 6,067 increase of people experiencing homelessness in 2021.

The rate of homelessness for males decreased in 2021 to 55 males per 10,000 (from 58 in 2016), while the rate for females increased in 2021 to 42 females per 10,000 (from 41 in 2016).

Of the 122,494 people experiencing homelessness in Australia in 2021:

Two in five (39.1%) were living in 'severely' crowded dwellings
One in five (19.8%) were in supported accommodation for the homeless
One in six (18.1%) living in boarding houses.

Between 2016 and 2021, there was a:

26.5% increase in people living in boarding houses
14.4% increase in people in supported accommodation for the homeless
6.9% decrease in people living in improvised dwellings, tents, or sleeping out
6.3% decrease to living in 'severely' crowded dwellings.

The decrease in people living in improvised dwellings, tents, or sleeping out and the increase in people in other temporary lodgings may be partly associated with measures put in place by local and state governments in response to COVID-19. The increases in people living in boarding houses and people in other temporary lodging are also partly associated with improvements in data quality through greater use of administrative data

Pup & Girl support the following organisations - raising awareness of, and funds for:

Catherine House: https://catherinehouse.org.au

Catherine House offers crisis, longer term accommodation and support services for women experiencing homelessness.

Hutt Street Centre: https://www.huttstcentre.org.au/

Hutt St Centre is a place of connection and support, where people facing homelessness are empowered to rebuild their lives, rediscover their identities and reconnect with those who love them.

Fred's Van: https://www.vinnies.org.au

Fred's Van is a food service for people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness and marginalisation in Adelaide. Fred's Van has over 650 volunteers and provides approximately 700 meals a week.

Orange Sky Australia: https://orangesky.org.au/

Provide a platform for every day Australians to connect through a regular laundry and shower service. The focus is on creating a safe, positive and supportive environment for people who are too often ignored or who feel disconnected from the community