A Liverpool lawyer is taking part in four fundraising triathlons this summer to raise money for homeless shelter The Whitechapel Centre, after being moved by the plight of some service users when she represented them in court.

Rachel Chandler, a member of the Crime team at leading law firm Kirwans, hasn’t entered a competitive sporting contest since she left school, but was determined to raise money for one of the firm’s charities of the year after seeing first-hand the vital service it provides.

Rachel said: “Being in criminal law opens your eyes to what is actually going on around you. I have worked with some clients who have been affected by homelessness, and it has really opened my eyes to the many varied reasons people end up on the streets.

“Some of my clients have previously worked in highly paid professions, and a change in circumstances has led to them losing everything and ending up on the streets. It really could happen to anyone.

“The amazing work that the Whitechapel Centre does in helping support these people led to Kirwans choosing it as one of our named charities this year, and it was a driving factor in my decision to do the quadruple triathlon challenge.”

As well as fundraising for the Whitechapel Centre, Rachel is also raising money for another Kirwans charity of the year - Overseas Aid for the Kids of Sierra Leone (OAKS). OAKS is a small Wirral-based charity which has built a school in Bo, Sierra Leone, that currently educates 380 children.

In her drive to raise much-needed funds for these two organisations, Rachel has already taken part in her first two triathlons of the year, and will compete in the Chester Deva Divas Triathlon and the Salford triathlon in July.

Charlotte Hopkins, events and community fundraiser at the Whitechapel Centre said: “Rachel’s Triathlon Challenge is incredibly inspiring. To complete one triathlon is hard enough, let alone four. It’s wonderful that Rachel is supporting The Whitechapel Centre and the money that she raises will be a big help in our mission to end homelessness. We’d like to thank her for all of her hard work and wish her the best of luck.”

Sarah Birchall, Kirwans practice director said: “The entire Kirwans team is incredibly proud of Rachel and her efforts to support our goal to raise money for these vital causes. We are also in awe of her bravery at setting herself such a challenge; to complete one triathlon is an achievement in itself, but to participate in four is an incredible achievement. We wish her luck as she continues with her summer triathlon challenge.”

Open every day of the year, The Whitechapel Centre aims to be there for those people facing homelessness in Liverpool to help them resolve their situation as quickly as possible. This includes daily services for rough sleepers, expert housing and benefit advice and health and wellbeing support. The charity also provides learning and education activities so that people can gain valuable life skills to help them maintain a home, and their independence, such as budgeting, managing their health, smarter food shopping and cooking.

Poor mental health, relationship breakdowns, bereavement, job loss, physical health problems, debt and loss of income are all catalysts for homelessness.

Last year The Whitechapel Centre worked with 2,814 people. They helped prevent 955 people from becoming homeless and helped 1,321 people to access suitable accommodation, ending their homelessness.

With help from the public who contact the No Second Night Out phone line managed by The Whitechapel Centre, the charity’s response to rough sleeping, which includes an outreach team who are on the street every day, meant that 99% did not spend a second night out.”