'Homelessness is not the problem, it is a symptom of the problem' Hendrix Lancaster CEO
You cannot fail to notice the increase of visible homelessness on the streets of every major city in the UK.
Here in Manchester, we have had a dramatic increase in numbers, the likes that have never been seen before and it is increasing every day.
Each evening we operate an out of hours drop-in service in the heart of Manchester city centre. We offer support, hot food, food parcels, showers and medical support alongside mental health crisis intervention.
We see new people who have recently become homeless, sometimes it is their first night on the street and we aim to stop them having to spend that first night outdoors. This takes a lot of intervention from our staff and volunteers, funding to gain access to accommodation and then continued support for that person to keep them from becoming street homeless.
These new individuals are only a small part of the issues we face each night, our numbers are increasing day by day...Currently, we serve 80+ guests each evening with hot food, showers, support services, mental health crisis support, medical assistance, advice and lots of cups of coffee.
Manchester Facts
More homeless people died in Manchester than in any other local authority area in England and Wales in 2017, according to the first national statistics capturing the pattern of deaths among rough sleepers and people living in homeless shelters. (The Guardian Feb 2019)
What is being done?
In Manchester, there are over 28 official charities working within the homeless sector; There is a huge increase in hot food on offer and no shortage of goodwill out on the street. If you would like to support the charities and make a real difference, get in touch, check out StreetSupport.net and offer your support to one of the many charities.