Help Us Break The Cycle of Homelessness For Good

The situation

Manchester has some of the highest levels of homelessness in the UK. In Jan 2023, it was ranked as the third highest city with 7,047 people without a home.

Over 82% of people who are homeless have a mental health diagnosis and the same percentage have a long-term illness.

94% of people who are homeless experience trauma with 2 in 3 people reporting four or more traumas or trauma for a prolonged period.

People experiencing homelessness have additional trauma from being rejected, marginalized, socially excluded and discriminated against. They are at high risk of violence and victimization, and re-traumatization of past events, as well as self-harm and suicide.

In the last year, we have helped more than 1,100 people at our Support Centre, and in the last 6 months we have seen a 50% uplift in new people coming in to Barnabus for support.

Due to the pandemic, cost of living and housing crisis, we are seeing more people with complex needs: poverty, trauma, abuse, addictions, substance misuse, neglect, bereavement, relationship breakdown, isolation and poor mental, physical and/or emotional health.

The solution

As a trauma informed service, our support team understand that tackling the deep-rooted effects of trauma, addiction and homelessness are key to a person’s long-term recovery. We believe with the right support, everyone can escape the cycle of homelessness and live independently in a home.

We offer intensive, long-term tailored support for people experiencing homelessness with complex support needs. This begins from the moment someone comes to see us at our Support Centre and continues for their whole journey of recovery into independent living and a home.

Our support team take time to build trust with everyone we help at our Support Centre. This vitally also opens the door for even the hardest to reach people to trust the full range of partner services we have available. NHS Nurses, Counsellors, Mental Health services, Addiction and Recovery Support are all readily available at our centre offering unique opportunities for timely intervention for a wide range of physical and mental health needs.

We empower those we support to make their own choices by putting them at the very centre of their care plan.

The support centre is only the start of someone's journey, our team walk alongside people for as long as it takes until they have the life skills and confidence to succeed and thrive at independent living.

How will we do it?

We are seeking funding for two more trauma informed trained support staff: a full time Engagement worker and a part time Recovery Worker both to be based at our Support Centre.

This will ensure we can aid recovery for more people seeking our help who have multiple complex support needs. This will expand our capacity to provide tailored one to one intensive support to help people overcome trauma and receive the healthcare, addiction and mental health support they need.

Additional staff members will enable us to refer more people to emergency and supported housing and our own resettlement tenancy homes, Barnabus supported housing and employment or training opportunities.

Extra capacity will enable our staff to hold new group work and extra recovery sessions to offer longer and more in-depth support.

The additional support staff will allow us to connect with more external services to further support our guests in their journey away from homelessness. This will open up new pathways for the people we support allowing us to further tailor the support we offer to better suit each individual.

What will it mean for those we support?

The ability to cope with life without resorting to drugs, alcohol or other unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Freedom from the effects of deep-rooted traumas and addictions.

Improved emotional, physical, mental health and wellbeing, having a sense of identity and purpose.

Increased engagement, confidence, resilience, life skills, healthy relationships, good financial management.

Being an active part of their community, social activities, volunteering, further education or employment and having pride in a home of their own.

Transforming and long lasting change equipped to thrive and rebuild their lives to take hold of their dreams for the future and succeed at independent living.

Reconciling and reconnecting with family for emotional support and being able to spend time with children or other dependents.

How will we fund it and how can you help?

We have applied to be included in this year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge, the UK’s biggest Online Match Funding Campaign.

We want to raise a total of £42,800 (including match funding) to pay for a full time Engagement Worker and Part time Recovery Worker but we need your help to make it possible.

We need your help to gain a total of £10,700 in pledges by 1^st September 2023

Once we have raised £10,700 in pledges, the Big Give will then include our project in their online Big Give Match Funding Christmas Challenge, December 2023.

We will then raise £21,400 through general giving and every gift received will be match funded and doubled to reach our £42,800 goal, with £10,700 from pledges and £10,700 from Big Give partners.

Please make a pledge so that we can successfully raise funds to break the cycle of homelessness together.

Please make your Pledge by 5pm Friday 8th September 2023.

N.B. Payments for these pledges will not be required by the Big Give until January 2024.

We are passionate about ending homelessness in our City. We hope you will choose to support our work so that together we can bring transforming and long lasting change.

If you have any questions about the pledge process please email [email protected] and we can help answer any questions you may have.

Please pledge Now on the Big Give Website

Latest

Double Your Donation This Week

Double Your Donation Today
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.
Joining forces to protect people from life threatening illnesses

Imagine spending night after night in a cold damp doorway, with only a sleeping bag between you and the cold floor. The negative impact this has on your health is massive affecting every part of your body, but most of all repeated cold damp nights affect the respiratory and immune systems. Imagine facing another cold night on the streets but you are now coming down with the flu or a chest infection.
Trustees Week 2023

In trustee’s week we celebrate the skills, knowledge and experiences each trustee brings to Barnabus and how their collective decision making ensures we are working as best we can to deliver our charitable objectives now and for many years to come. They are also a wealth of guidance and support that our staff can draw on, to thrive in their roles.

Donate Items

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.
Dragon Boat Race, Sale Water Park, 11th May 2024

Join our Barnabus team at Sale Water Park for another fantastic sponsored Dragon Boat race across the lake. Have fun and at the same time help people on their journey from the streets and into a home for good.
Join our team

We currently have the following vacancies
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 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.
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.
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.
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.