Manchester Homelessness Partnership Newsletter: January 2023

Welcome to the Manchester Homelessness Partnership’s January newsletter!

January 2023

It’s been a great start to 2023 here at the Manchester Homelessness Partnership, as different projects get up and running after a busy festive season.

Thank you to all our partner organisations and individuals for your hard work during Cold Weather Provision and Christmas. A few highlights…

  • Lifeshare served 2200+ meals and helped over 700 guests during their Christmas provision. Read their full wrap-up here: https://www.lifeshare.org.uk/christmas-project-2022/ 
  • Reach Out to the Community hosted a Homeless Awareness Day in Wythenshawe, bringing together 20 organisations to raise awareness of what help is available for people at risk of becoming homeless in Manchester.
  • Booth Centre raised almost £60,000 during the Big Give, to help the centre continue to provide a wide range of activities for their visitors.

Action Group Updates

Upcoming dates:

Our Action Groups are open to anyone who shares our goal of ending homelessness – please contact us if you’d like to come along, and share with your networks and anyone you think might be interested.

  • Migrant Destitution Action Group Monday 6th February, 10:30 @ Equal Education Chances – email info@migrantdestitution.co.uk if you’re interested in joining.
  • Accommodation Action Group Wednesday 8th February, 13:00 @ Booth Centre – email paul@boothcentre.org.uk if you’d like to come along to the first meeting, to have your say in what we will work on.
  • Prevention Action Group Monday 13th February at 13:00 @ Mustard Tree – email gareth.clarke@manchester.gov.uk to join.

Spotlight on … Real Change MCR

Aim: Real Change MCR is an alternative giving scheme, which lets the public give differently to people experiencing homelessness in Manchester – by paying for the first month of rent, furniture for a home, or clothes for a job interview.

History: Previously Big Change MCR, Real Change MCR started in 2016 as part of the Manchester Homelessness Partnership, and has given over £92,000 in 164 grants since April 2020 alone.

Get involved: You can give donate to Real Change MCR here, and if you are one of the fund’s partner organisations you can apply to the fund on behalf of an individual.

Read more stories of how Real Change MCR has changed people’s lives here: https://streetsupport.net/manchester/realchangemcr/case-studies/ 

Events & Resources

GMJokers and GMHAN – Celebrate System Change through Creative Coproduction – sign up here

7th February 2023, 13:00 – 16:00, People’s History Museum

The GMJokers have built a model for creative systems change that has now been recognised internationally. Join them to look back and celebrate all the amazing work that went into this piece of coproduction, and explore how can continue to ensure that the voice of Lived Experience is central to policy and decision making.


Shelter Walk For Home – sign up here
2nd February, 10:00 – 13:00, Shelter Manchester Hub

Walk for Home with Shelter Manchester this winter, and help to raise funds to enable them to continue to provide free and expert support to the people in our community. The walk is a 5.5k circular route, taking in the sights of St Phillips Park and then heading back to the hub.

We are at crisis point’: housing advice organisations call on policy-makers to take urgent action – read the open letter here

Greater Manchester Law Centre and Shelter have co-written a letter to policy-makers across Greater Manchester region to highlight the dire state of the housing crisis this year. They have written demands for urgent intervention from the government and other authorities to prevent the crisis from worsening.

Development Coordinator at Greater Together Manchester – find out more and apply here

Greater Together Manchester are recruiting a coordinator for their Lifeskills programme, which offers structured support to people who have previously been, or are currently experiencing, homelessness. If you have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate with people from diverse backgrounds, click the link to find our more and apply.