Volunteer with 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

Pray with us

We believe in the transforming power of prayer to restore and bring; healing, salvation, freedom and hope to our friends experiencing homelessness. We see people of many different faiths at different stages of their spiritual journey. Many have complex needs stemming from; addictions, poor mental health, abuse, trauma and grief including ex service veterans and those without family.
Real Film Productions supporting Barnabus through the medium of film

We met Sandra from Real Film Productions by chance at the Manchester Craft and Design Centre. She has been busy supporting us throughout last year producing some amazing videos for us.
Fundraising events

Swim, cycle, parachute jump, climb a mountain, shave your head, organise an event - the only limit is your imagination!
Lent Challenge

This Lent and Easter we are challenging you to do something awesome to help those without a home to call their own.

Give Hope to Rough Sleepers this Winter

We passionately believe in breaking the cycle of homelessness but we need your help! Winter can be a particularly life threatening and depressing time of year for anyone who has to sleep rough on the Streets. It’s also sadly, our busiest time.
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 with 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.
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.
Donate

66% of the people we support sleep rough on the streets in all weathers, with others staying in emergency shelters, hostels or even sofa surfing. Donating helps us cover our costs and keep our doors open.
Fundraising ideas

Swim, cycle, skydive, 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 80's playing an organ for 14 hours non-stop!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Drop in timetable

Our drop in centre is open every weekday between 10:30am till 9pm. Please find details of our activities and services in our timetable.
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.