Laura Thomas

Laura brings significant senior strategic and commercial leadership experience, most recently spending 2.5 years as Managing Director of Monitor Creative, a digital marketing agency. Her wider career includes board-level roles such as Sales Director, Marketing Director and Commercial Director, with proven success across both client-side and agency environments.

Alongside her commercial career, Laura brings previous experience in the not-for-profit sector, giving her a strong understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing purpose-led organisations and is thrilled to be a trustee of Barnabus.

Latest

"I wasn't ready then, but I'm ready now" - Leanne's Journey

Recovery is rarely a straight path, especially when homelessness and addiction are part of the story. Leanne's journey shows just how important it is to have support available when someone is finally ready to accept it.
Renters Rights Act - What's changed and what does it mean for you and for Barnabus?

The Renters Rights Act is the biggest change in housing law in a generation. It aims to make the lives of renters better by improving their housing stability and housing quality. You can read about what's changed and what does it mean for you and for Barnabus?
Starting From Scratch

Stanley has been accessing Barnabus’ services at our Beacon support centre since September 2024. Prior to this, he had experienced six years of rough sleeping in Manchester, with only intermittent periods of sofa surfing between friends and family. His homelessness began following a relationship breakdown and over time he developed a significant dependency on alcohol, which further impacted his physical health and stability.
A journey from uncertainty to stability

We first met Lily and Peter several years ago after they were granted refugee status. While this was a major step forward, it also brought sudden instability. As they were no longer eligible to remain in Home Office accommodation, they quickly found themselves facing homelessness, unsure where they would sleep from one night to the next.

Anthony Russo

Trustee
Matt Lacey

Trustee
Steve Best

Trustee
Maxine Blackwell

Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees
Tim Elston

Treasurer

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.
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.
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.
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
Dragon Boat Race, Sale Water Park, Saturday 12th September 2026

Join our Barnabus team at Sale Water Park for another fantastic sponsored Dragon Boat race across the dock. Have fun and at the same time help people on their journey from the streets and into a home for good.
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT A BED IT’S ABOUT OPENING A DOOR

At Barnabus, we believe that everyone deserves a better tomorrow. We know the journey off the streets isn’t easy, but we’ll stand by your side every step of the way. See how Stephen found new hope and a new life through Barnabus and God’s love.
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.
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.
What would make someone choose to sleep on the floor next to their bed rather than in it?

What would make someone choose to sleep on the floor next to their bed rather than in it? Some of the people we support struggle so deeply with trauma that even when they have a home they find themselves struggling or completely unable to sleep in the bed, instead they choose to sleep on the floor, on their sofas or sometimes even spending nights back on the streets.