Activities

Creative workshops

We believe that everybody deserves the opportunity to express themselves. That’s why we run creative, social and educational sessions at the Beacon. Our homeless visitors can choose to get involved in everything from photography workshops to music therapy, or even creative writing sessions.

The incredible hidden talents of our homeless friends surprise us every single day. Whether it’s through singing, playing guitar or writing poetry, our visitors get so much joy from these workshops. They don’t just inspire confidence and self-esteem - we also see energy, enthusiasm and teamwork go from strength to strength during these creative sessions.

Recovery Group

Many of the people we serve have addictions that they developed whilst living on the streets and which are preventing them from developing. To help them build new futures we invite them to join us on a Tuesday afternoon for a meeting to begin their journey of recovery through group discussion.

Prayer and Reflection

This is a safe space for those seeking spiritual healing through prayer. It’s a place where hope can be restored through conversation and support, no matter what race, religion or background our friends come from.

We’re blessed to be supported by many churches and individuals, who often visit us to lead our inspiring sessions. We will never forget the time when almost 20 of our homeless friends attended the God Slot and prayed for Barnabus, our staff and our volunteers. Sessions like this serve as a reminder of why we do the work we do.

We are always open to hearing about how you or your church could sponsor one of our God Slot sessions. To find out more, please email [email protected]

Partner Volunteering Scheme

The people we help often stay in touch and go on to volunteer, work or even run workshops for Barnabus via our Partner Volunteering Scheme. This lived experience of homelessness can be absolutely vital when it comes to giving our friends on the streets the support and care they need.

The unique perspective of someone who has been homeless can help us develop new ideas and services, making sure that we’re always doing the very best we can for those who need us. It also gives our friends who are a little further forward on their journey the opportunity to skill up, whilst nurturing their self-confidence.

Latest

Salford Tax Specialists support Barnabus

Barnabus has been supporting people experiencing homeless in Manchester for over 30 years. Everything we do comes down to one thing: to help people in their journey off the streets. No matter how long it takes, we’ll be here, every step of the way. Helping someone get a bed isn’t enough on its own. The traumas people carry with them require intensive support to help them rebuild their lives. We walk with people on their journey off the streets. From the bottom of our heart, thank you
A Hidden Talent brings joy to our centre

Every Wednesday afternoon we host a music therapy session with Nordoff Robbins at the Beacon and one rainy day, Clive attended. Whilst speaking with him about music we found out that he used to play the clarinet, so the music therapist arranged to get a clarinet ready for the next music session. Together we waited eagerly hoping that he would be able to show up and play.
Two Years of Hard Work Pays Off

Ever since his Residents Permit was stolen from him our friends future was very uncertain and he struggled to feel settled when his future in this country seemed uncertain
Bold 10 Change Lives

This July a brave team of 9 caring kids will take on the Heaton Park Tough Mudder to raise money for people experiencing homelessness

GETTING OFF THE STREETS TAKES MANY STEPS. WE’LL BE THERE FOR EVERY ONE OF THEM.

We host a range of social, creative and skill-based afternoon activities to improve self-confidence and wellbeing. They’re all held at our Beacon Support Centre.

CLOTHING. FOOD. TOILETRIES. FOUNDATIONS FOR A NEW LIFE

Please support our work with donations of the items we are short of but need to run our services everyday. You can also support us through ordering urgently needed items online to be delivered to our door.
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. 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.
ARE YOU READY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

We currently have the following vacancies
I'M HOMELESS AND I 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.
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.
Our history

It all started in 1991 with one couple, 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.
Great Manchester Run, Sunday 26th May, 2024

We love this supporting our sponsored runners at this event. Set your self the personal goal of taking part in one of Europe's biggest 10km races and raising funds to change the lives of people without a home and we will do all we can to support you.
GETTING OFF THE STREETS TAKES MANY STEPS. WE’LL BE THERE FOR EVERY ONE OF THEM.

We host a range of social, creative and skill-based afternoon activities to improve self-confidence and wellbeing. They’re all held at our Beacon Support Centre.
PARTNERING WITH LOCAL CHURCHES TO HELP PEOPLE LEAVE HOMELESSNESS BEHIND FOR GOOD

Here at Barnabus, everything we do is led by our faith – whether that’s providing a warm meal to someone in need or referring services for long-term support. We want to share God’s love with anyone experiencing difficulties. That’s why we launched our church partnership programme, the Dwell Project. It brings the gospel to those without a home, in temporary accommodation, or at risk of homelessness. We offer spiritual support and guidance to help the healing process.