Graham Wood

A Big Thank You 07/06/2018

With the ever increasing rise in homelessness in Manchester and the nation as a whole, it may seem contradictory to celebrate. However, the achievements of Big Change and The Mayors Homelessness Fund deserve to be celebrated, if only modestly. The Big Change pays for practical items that individuals need to build independent lives off the […]

How Businesses Can Step Up

Homelessness, in all its forms, is increasing across the UK, with the situation now at crisis point. Manchester needs a unique solution from all sectors (voluntary, statutory, and business) putting the voices and knowledge of people with experience of homelessness at the forefront. Manchester is fast becoming becoming a model for other cities around the […]

Artist Now In Residence

A beautiful sunny lunchtime in Manchester. It seems to happen quite regularly these days, touch wood. Mooch from The Big Change and Graham from Street Support are heading to Chorlton to see Steph and Becky at Reach Out To The Community. Reach Out To The Community is a shop and community hub in which raises […]

Organised Kindness

“This piece was inspired by a trip to Manchester with the ever growing Homeless population. The way the general public engaged with, respected and accepted homeless people as part of Manchester and how Manchester had adapted and embraced ALL its population regardless of whether they lived on the streets or had a roof to sleep […]

Going That Extra Mile

What Else Are You Going To Do On A Lovely Warm and Sunny Evening In Manchester? Thursday 6pm May 29th 2018. An untypical weekday evening in Manchester. Sunny and warm, not a cloud in the sky. Whilst the good people of Manchester were sipping frosty beers in streetside cafes and bars or burning food on […]

Listening To The Voices of Experience

People with experience of being homeless met to discuss the current homelessness situation in Manchester The first meeting of people with direct experience of homelessness in Manchester took place at the Mustard Tree, May 24th.  The meeting was well attended and a rich and lively discussion followed, covering a variety of topics some of which are currently […]

Communication is Needed

Phone Charge Points in Greater Manchester. We’re trying to compile a comprehensive and accessible list of places, (organisations, businesses, shops, faith groups, charities) where people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness can charge their phones. As you know, it’s vital for people to keep in touch at this vulnerable time, (support workers, charities, […]

Resolve Together – The Unseen Builders

As part of the Street Support Network‘s ongoing push to improve their website, a crack team of developers, digital marketers and design experts have joined the cause. The monthly Resolve meetings, held at Code Computer Love, sees some of the best tech brains in the city get together for pizza, drinks and hardcore coding. They come […]

How are we doing? Street Support Network survey results.

Street Support Network. What We’re Doing, Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going We’d like to share with you the findings of a recent survey we undertook to evaluate what Street Support Network are doing well, areas where there is room for improvement, and how we intend to move forward. The survey was developed and […]

Innovation and Employment. Case Studies.

What innovative ways can we help combat homelessness and create jobs? Manchester is the home of the industrial revolution, the birth place of the first computer and where scientists first split the atom. Yet in the last year alone Manchester has seen a 40% increase in homelessness. As a city that prides itself on firsts […]