Written by Rachel Yates from the JustLife Foundation Everyone who works with vulnerable people has their one, the first death or the one which made the most impact, mine was Kevin. It was the shock of Kevin’s death which stuck with me as it was completely unexpected, he was starting to get help… It was […]
How Big Change Makes A Big Difference To People’s Lives A couple of stories from last month that really stood out…. Boots…. Someone who was formerly sleeping rough, (and working) was borrowing work boots so he could continue working. Through the Big Change, The Boaz Trust provided a new pair of boots of his own. […]
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 […]
The International Arts and Homelessness Summit/Festival 12th – 18th November 2018 This is the first event of its kind bringing together arts projects, people and artists with personal insight into homelessness, practitioners, policy-makers, organisations, charities and academics. Greater Manchester has been chosen because of the exceptional arts/homelessness projects in the region, the way arts is becoming […]
Since 2016 On The Out have been providing an invaluable service and much needed support for people just released from custody from HMP Manchester, (Strangeways) and prisons throughout the North West. People who are often released with little or no money, no family to go to and no place to call home. The support On […]
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 […]
The language we use can have an impact on the stigma and exclusion that people feel and this can negatively affect people’s lives. This raises even deeper questions. Are we all to be defined and labelled by our past or events in our past? With these questions in mind, a discussion took place recently at […]
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. […]
The People’s History Museum, with stories of the struggles of ordinary people, provided lots of ideas that have been expanded and explored to create Moving Panoramas. The piece performed on Monday 11th June, combined visual arts with original songwriting centred around scrolling artworks that moved together with the songs to tell a story. The artworks, […]
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 […]
Subjects