We first met Phil* back in 2018. He entered our resettlement scheme, where we managed to secure him a flat with his very own tenancy. Through a supporting company, we were even able to arrange a trial shift for a new job – and he had been on their books ever since. But in 2021, things started to take a turn for the worse. Read more
Kyle* has multiple complex needs. He has slept rough for many years, and had historically poor engagement levels with the relevant services that could support him with his mental health and addiction. He also has a long history of being in custody and is sadly stuck in the revolving door between prison and rough sleeping. In this blog, we wanted to share Kyle’s story. Join us as we explore why the future looks a little brighter for Kyle, although there is still much work to be done. Read more
Alan* had recently left prison when he came to see us for support. Before that, he had been sleeping in a tent for four years. He met Jenna, one of our case workers, and she was able to refer him to some temporary accommodation in Oldham. Alan was very grateful to have a more solid roof over his head, but he did struggle with the distance because he has some contact with his family based in Manchester. That’s when Aimee, our Resettlement Tenancy Worker, met Alan. Read more
Unfortunately, addiction affects many of the friends we support. In some cases, our friends find themselves misusing substances after they become street homeless, yet Simon’s* situation is a little different. Read more
Hannah* came to our service for the first time in early July 2021. She was in a very vulnerable position having recently fled a violent situation from her ex-partner. In this blog, case worker Eleisha shares Hannah’s story… Read more
Ready Steady Store is one of Barnabus’ longest running corporate supporters; they started to support our work back in 2010 when we reached out to them about providing storage for our donations and other possible support Read more
When our stories converged, Robin had been in and out of different accommodation, mainly due to his behaviour when under the influence of alcohol. He was between places at this point, sleeping on the streets as everyone was told to stay at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. In this blog, we trace Robin’s story from his Beacon visits to his admission to a mental health and substance misuse facility. Read more
This week is #volunteersweek so we are sitting down with some of our volunteers to chat with them about their experiences volunteering with us. We thought it would be good to sit down with our newest volunteer Jess to see how she was settling in. It was only her 3rd day of volunteering with us when we put her on the spot to ask her a few questions. Read more
Many of our friends have had a traumatic past and can take drink or drugs as a way to escape from those memories or the harsh realities of rough sleeping. They may also struggle with challenging mental health conditions. At times even though they receive support and encouragement they can sadly take two steps forward and then one step back. We understand this and we are always here to support and empower our friends on their difficult journey towards new hope, new homes and a new life. Read more
Payroll giving is by far the easiest way to donate to Barnabus. It gives us the security of receiving a regular payment which helps us to offer long term planned support to help people out of homelessness. And, because your donation is taken from your pay at source before you get taxed, it actually costs you less to give – whilst we get more. Read more
Today we are celebrating the support we receive from an unsung hero of our work. Behind the scenes the company Datacentreplus have been hosting our client database pro bono as part of their commitment to give back to the community in Manchester. Read more
Craig* first came to our support centre, the Beacon, looking for help with his most basic needs: food, a shower, and new clothes. Over time, he came to trust our team and began to consider the Beacon as the closest thing to a home, having lived in a tent for several years without any support. When Craig confided in our support team that he had problems with his prison probation and was worried that he’d be recalled, we knew we could offer him the support he needed. This is Craig’s journey Read more