The Big Change Manchester campaign was created in late 2015 to provide financial support for people experiencing homelessness to get off the streets. Here are some of the things that have happened so far…
- The big change fund has already started rehousing people with long term support from the necessary services in place. This includes providing people with furniture/training courses once they have been housed to aid resettlement.
- The Big Change team have been undertaking focus groups within The University Of Manchester, doing talks of the importance of the campaign as well as engaging the student population through videos/ talks and stalls.
- We have several up and coming fundraisers by Manchester’s younger generation, Our lady’s school are scheduled to have a fundraiser, along with radio and entertainment business Block 2 Block radio.
- Thanks to the generosity of Manchester people and business sector, in just over 3 months we have raised nearly £6k.
- We work very closely with a huge range of charities, grass roots groups and services and aim to engage each other on a common ground to stand united, big change is building relationships in the city.
Here are some quotes from some of the organisations involved with Big Change…
“Big Change offers Manchester a new way of helping people in the city get out of a rough sleeping situation, so they can make real and sustainable positive changes in their lives. It empowers people by giving practical help with the basics that are needed if they are to obtain, furnish and maintain a home of their own.”
Paul Pandolfo Shelter/ICM
“Big Change gives the general public the knowledge that organisations working with the homeless community with the knowledge that it will be used by those most in need. Big Change gets money to places begging can only hope to reach. Big Change is the change every city should be taking! Big Change is a collaboration of all the homeless sector groups in Manchester from the biggest charities to the smallest grassroots groups….. We can all access the cash to support the individuals we work with. Manchester steps out and takes the collaboration approach that the city’s homeless have been ‘begging’ for!”
Hendrix Lancaster Coffee4Craig
“The Big Change Fund is a great campaign with a difficult message. There’s no denying that Manchester is full of caring people who want to help those in need. When people give money to someone begging on the street, it helps them feel like they are doing a good thing for someone else. Whether or not the person receiving the cash is in genuine need, the reality is that its benefit is always limited. Rather than helping people to survive on the street, our aim should be to help everyone move off the street and into safe and suitable accommodation. Big Change provides the means to pool the financial resources of generous individuals, and to use them to create meaningful, sustained change for homeless people who apply for funds.”
Jez Green, Mustard Tree / Manchester Homelessness Charter
“Lifeshare supports the Big Change campaign because it is crucial that homeless individuals have an opportunity to secure deposits for private rental accommodation or housing in order to move on with their lives. Gathering together public donations to help in this long term way means more can be achieved and it’s a chance to make a sustainable positive difference.”
Sam Johnson Lifeshare
And finally, a wonderful poem from Hazel, Big Change beneficiary recently rehoused with support from the fund:
“Change…..?
Change is the key
Open up new doors,
Push push push that’s me
Busy making positive chores!
Head high
Deep breathe
…….sighhhhh……
Change created me!
Queen of my castle,
Tagz my dirty rascal
Warrior on through thick and thin
So you will win”