Greater Manchester Homeless Action Network 25/07/18 (Report Part One) Can we aim to give people sleeping rough a bed overnight, every night from October 2018 to March 2019? This question posed by Andy Burnham last Wednesday, kicked off an encouraging morning at the Greater Manchester Homelessness Action Network event at Salford University. Last winter when […]
Manchester Half Marathon – Big Change Manchester Sunday 14th October 2018 Inspired by the work of the Manchester Homeless Partnership and Street Support, staff from Manchester City Council’s Rough Sleepers Team are running the Manchester Half Marathon to raise money for Big Change. Big Change provides practical support to people who are currently homeless and people […]
Since May 2016 Big Change has been providing practical support to people who are currently homeless and people who have recently been homeless by paying for items that are most needed. From a pair of new boots or a deposit for a home, to new clothing and travel costs for job interviews and training courses. […]
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 […]
Manchester Homelessness Partnership – Open Space Event Monday 5th March, Central Methodist Hall, Manchester We are happy to share news of a new open space event for Manchester Homelessness Partnership (MHP). This is an opportunity to get involved in MHP and join our collective mission to End Homelessness in Manchester. We welcome people with lived experience of […]
How a new initiative is helping to tackle homelessness through multi-agency collaboration and alternative giving. An oft-grumbled criticism of society as a whole is that we don’t do enough, collectively, to tackle the problem of homelessness. In many instances, we may be able to find examples that suggest this is true. However, in the case […]
(A foot-warming tale of kindness and collaboration) 20,000 Pairs of Socks Donated to Homeless Charities in Manchester Over Christmas It’s OK, you’ve read it right. Not 20 pairs, not 200 pairs, not even 2,000 pairs. but 20,000 PAIRS! Our story begins with a man seeing a poster in Manchester. The man? Mike Blackburn, MD of […]
Material needs aren’t the whole story. Daniel doesn’t blame his council for evicting him after a so-called friend wired his electric meter and lived rent-free while Daniel was in hospital after a heart attack. But he did not have the two weeks rent they demanded to let him back and he’s been sleeping on the […]
Thanks to extraordinary Big Change. In a way Craig is a typical rough sleeper. He has no long-term support needs. No mental health issues. No substance abuse. He doesn’t fit the rough sleeper stereotype – but he soon could. Anyone can have the bad luck to end up sleeping rough. Craig was “horrified” when his […]
To stay drug-free Les needs to be off the streets. For Les, ending up in jail again at 45, with a life of drug abuse contributing to his criminal record, was the final wake-up call. Les has finally agreed that he’s ready for change. He’s at last talking to the drug services he needs to […]
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