The year is 1991. The UK is in the grip of an economic recession and about to have its coldest winter since the 80s. A Christian couple, Peter and Beryl, have just arrived in Manchester’s city centre to see a show. As they head to the theatre, they’re shocked to see the number of people sleeping rough under bridges and in shop doorways. The very next week, they’ll visit again with sandwiches and flasks – and the seed that became Barnabus will be planted… Read more
Helen* visited our Beacon Support Centre for the first time in September 2021. She had recently fled from her partner, who had been forcing her into sex work to fund his substance addiction. When Helen decided enough was enough, she left her partner and their home. After two nights sleeping rough on the streets of Manchester, she turned to us for help Read more
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
The week of 18th-26th October 2021 was a week of action to stop the government’s Nationality and Borders Bill. So, we thought it would be fitting to make this week’s blog about all the people we support who are within the asylum process. Read more
In this blog, we wanted to share David’s story. We also explain how we partner with other organisations to support our friends in their journey towards living independently 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
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
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