Volunteer for us

Our wonderful volunteers are the heart of what we do and without them, we couldn’t do the work we do to get people housed.

Volunteering brings new experiences, new friends, new skills and a chance to give back. Maybe you can give us two hours a week to help out, whether it’s washing pots, mentoring at our employability project Renu or going on street outreach in the evening to build relationships with people who need our help to find a home.

Every single one of our volunteers brings a talent or skill which we can use. We’re blessed to have so many fantastic people on our team. We’d love to welcome you too!

You can choose to volunteer in our drop in centre during the day or the evening, helping people get the essentials and accessing healthcare. We are always looking for volunteers for ReNu as well as the allotment, and our office, storage and helping out on the van. In addition we always need volunteers for prayer and the God Slot.

You don’t need to be a Christian to volunteer but we do ask for people to be sympathetic and respectful of our Christian values.

The process is simple: complete the form, and choose a date and time for your interview and taster session. The interview is a short conversation to make sure that volunteering at Barnabus is right for you and the taster session gives you a chance to decide for yourself that you are happy to continue the process. Once those are done, we offer you training and help with applying for an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check for working with vulnerable adults.

Having a conviction is not a bar to volunteering at Barnabus; if you want to talk to us about any issues before you decide to apply, contact Jazmine Franks for a chat by emailing [email protected] .

How to apply

To apply to volunteer with us please fill out this form

Latest

Corporate flyer

Are looking to support Barnabus through your workplace? Then check out our latest corporate support flyer share it with your colleagues and see what you could do to help people get off the streets into new lives
5k Santa Dash

Every week around 800 Park Run runners www.parkrun.org.uk run in the park and every year they choose to support us with a Charity Santa Dash at Heaton Park to raise much needed funds in support of our work with people experiencing homelessness in Manchester.
Give Hope This Christmas

Homelessness is devastating at any time of year but at Christmas, when Manchester is full of party goers and people shopping for loved ones, the difference between those that have and those that don’t, is sadly easy to see. We know you want to make a difference so we've come up with some suggestions of how you can help bring Joy at this special time of year.
Christmas Jumper Day

Homelessness in Manchester

If you’ve walked the streets of Manchester, you’ve almost certainly passed by a rough sleeper. In fact, you’ve probably noticed that there are more people living and sleeping out on the streets. In 2010, the official rough sleeper figure was 7. In 2018, it was 94. Unfortunately, we know that in reality, the number is much higher. Please read on to find out more about homelessness in our city.
How we're helping

The stress and anxiety people can suffer when they are homeless means they often feel afraid to reach out and taking that small step towards getting help can seem like a mammoth task. That’s why our team is there to help from the start, giving tailored support and advice every single step of the way.
ReNu upcycling furniture project

Beautifully upcycled furniture for your home, from someone without one. Our upcycling project is all about upskilling our friends to empower them back into work.

Volunteer for us

Barnabus relies on over 90 volunteers a week to open our doors and welcome people who need a friend. We have volunteers from all over Greater Manchester, as well as Cheshire and Lancashire, all age groups and all walks of life.
Donate items

66% of the people we see sleep rough on the streets in all weathers, with others staying in emergency shelters, hostels or even sofa surfing. Donating food can help us serve hot meals, your unwanted clothes can keep our friends warm and dry, and unused toiletries, underwear and socks can help to make those who sleep rough feel human again.
Homelessness in Manchester

If you’ve walked the streets of Manchester, you’ve almost certainly passed by a rough sleeper. In fact, you’ve probably noticed that there are more people living and sleeping out on the streets. In 2010, the official rough sleeper figure was 7. In 2018, it was 94. Unfortunately, we know that in reality, the number is much higher. Please read on to find out more about homelessness in our city.
Fundraising ideas

Swim, cycle, parachute jump, climb a mountain, shave your head, organise an event - the only limit is your imagination! We’ve had people running marathons all over Europe, riding their bikes the length of the country, dressing up as Smurfs and we even had a lady in her mid 80s playing an organ for 14 hours non-stop!
In The Box with Marcus Rashford

Launched on Thursday 17th October, ‘In-The-Box’ is a Christmas campaign created by Manchester United and England International footballer Marcus Rashford to support some of Manchester’s biggest frontline services for those experiencing homelessness – Barnabus, Centrepoint, and Lifeshare.
Our history

It all started in 1991 with one man, some sandwiches and a flask of hot coffee. Walking the streets of Manchester, our founder Peter Green could not believe that there were people on his doorstep who had nothing. So, with a little help from his Christian faith, he set out to do something. Luckily, Peter and his wife Beryl had plenty of love – and sandwiches – to share.
Our ethos

Barnabus is at heart a Christian charity. We want to share God’s love by giving hope and support to those who really need it. We believe that everybody has the right to live in their own home, the right to have friends and family who care, and the right to have a purpose in life. Most of all, we believe that everybody has a right to love.
Give Hope This Christmas

Homelessness is devastating at any time of year but at Christmas, when Manchester is full of party goers and people shopping for loved ones, the difference between those that have and those that don’t, is sadly easy to see. We know you want to make a difference so we've come up with some suggestions of how you can help bring Joy at this special time of year.
I'm homeless and need help

Barnabus helps adults who are homeless – whether you’re living on the streets, in temporary accommodation or at risk of homelessness. If you have a family with dependents under the age of 18 or are under 18 yourself, we recommend that you contact your local authority immediately.
Street outreach

This is where the foundations of a new life are laid. Our Street Outreach teams go out in the evenings to meet rough sleepers and build relationships, encouraging them to come to our drop in centre, visit our Support Workers and our lovely Homeless Outreach Nurse Liz, who is based at the Urban Village Medical Centre.