Many of us are aware that 10 October is World Mental Health Day, but did you know it’s also World Homeless Day today too?
The festive season is not far off now, and that means the temperatures will soon start to drop.
But as we head into some of the coldest months of the year, an increasing number of people will sadly be without a roof over their heads or a secure place of shelter in Greater Manchester this winter – with recent statistics published by Shelter back in January sadly revealing that our region has some of the highest levels of homelessness in the UK.
Manchester itself ranks as third-highest in the country for homelessness per capita, with around 7,407 people – which is equivalent to one in 74 people – experiencing homelessness.
Those who find themselves without a permanent or fixed abode will often face a series of complications on a daily basis, but the winter is known to bring with it an additional set of challenges, which is why many of us will look to see how we can lend a hand at this time of year.
Shelter, CentrePoint, and Barnabus Manchester are among the national and Greater Manchester-based homelessness charities that not only continue to provide essential services to those who need them most, but also provide information and advice to those interested in helping out where possible.
Here’s six ways you can help homeless people across our region this autumn and winter.
___
1. Ask if there’s anything they need
Should you feel concerned about the welfare of someone during adverse temperatures or weather conditions, then taking a moment to stop and ask if there’s anything you can provide for them could be a life-saving action.
This could include offering food, drink, thermals, bedding, a travelcard, Vaseline, a reusable water bottle, and more.
Whilst it’s true that long-term help for homeless people makes the biggest difference, having a conversation over a cup of tea can also be really important.
2. Refer them to StreetLink
StreetLink allows members of the public to connect people sleeping rough with the local services and homeless charities that can support them, and it’s one of the easiest ways to find immediate support for people out on the streets in cold weather.
You can download the StreetLink app from Apple’s App Store or the Google Play Store, or you can also call the 24-hour helpline on 0300 500 0914, and visit the website here.
When you send an alert, you should include:
A specific location where the person is sleeping.
The time you saw the person at this location.
Any information about the person that will help outreach workers find them (for example – gender, age, what the person looks like, what they’re wearing)
If you can, it’s probably best to let the person know you’re referring them as they may not want their details shared with other agencies, but you can also ask them if they’re happy to pass on their mobile number so it’s easier for outreach workers to contact them.
Credit: Giving Compass
3. Ask your local council about SWEP
SWEP (Severe Weather Emergency Protocol) provides emergency support for rough sleepers when the temperatures drop drastically.
During SWEP, councils will usually open extra beds in night shelters, as well as other services, but this is dependent on guidelines, so it’s worth checking with your council to see if SWEP is in operation during cold weather in your local area, and how those sleeping rough can access it.
You can find contact details for your local council here.
4. Refer them to day centres and night shelters
Day centres offer those sleeping rough practical help by providing services such as a hot meal and access to showers and laundry facilities, and you can find your nearest day centre by using Homeless Link’s directory, or calling the CentrePoint Helpline on 0808 800 0661.
Night shelters, on the other hand, offer a free and basic ‘shared space’ to stay for anyone who would otherwise be on the streets – with many providing an evening meal or breakfast at no cost / for a small charge, and often require rough sleepers to arrive by a set time in the evening and leave in the morning.
Manchester City Council says its representatives are “out on the streets seven days a week connecting people who are sleeping rough to the housing, food, and healthcare they can get”.
Think someone’s been missed though? You can contact the Council here.
The CentrePoint helpline is there help anyone in England aged 16-25 who is homeless or at risk of being so, and operators will listen, advise and connect homeless young people to the right services.
You can call for free on 0808 800 0661 (Monday to Friday between 9am-5pm).
Shelter offers free confidential expert advice via its website, Housing Aid Centres, helpline and email services, and you can call the helpline on 0808 800 4444.
The Customer Service Centre and Homelessness Reception at Manchester City Council are open on an appointment-only basis, but you can call 0161 234 4692 between 9am-4.30pm on Monday to Friday for help and support.
For help when the office is closed, you can phone 0161 234 5001.
You can call the Manchester Homeless Advice and Assessment Service on 0161 234 5001.
Only in the instance that someone sleeping rough appears to be unwell or in immediate danger should you call the emergency services on 999.
Featured Image – Flickr
Trending
Matty Young returns to Salford City FC for a second season following successful loan spell
Danny Jones
Promising goalkeeper Matty Young has returned to Salford City FC for 2025/26 for a second loan stint following a successful first year last season.
The Sunderland academy product spent the previous campaign on loan at the Peninsula Stadium, enjoying a prolific spell over the festive period, keeping half a dozen consecutive clean sheets between December at the start of January.
Still just 18 years old and impressing plenty up and down the EFL, there was plenty of interest in the boyhood Black Cat (who’s been with the club since he was seven), but with the Tyneside outfit now back in the Premier League and having recently signed two new keepers themselves, minutes looked unlikely.
With that in mind, Salford City have dipped back into the loans market this summer transfer window to secure Matty Young for another 12 months.
Announcing the re-signing on Thursday, 24 July, Salford revealed Young in a series of social media posts, including a highlight reel from his standout showcase last term.
He went on to register a total of eight shutouts in 20 league appearances, as well as another in their second-round FA Cup tie against Cheltenham, which they went on to win 2-0.
The England youngster has already represented the Three Lions at under-18, U19 and U21s level, with both Manchester City and Man United having reportedly been monitoring the growing prospect.
Speaking via the club website, he said: I think knowing what I am capable of and my ability on the pitch, I think there is more expectation now with what I can go and deliver on a match day. I have set very high expectations [for] myself to go and push on, and to be the best keeper in the league this year.
“I think the lads will be pushing for automatics this year, if not, the play-offs, so that is something that me and the team will be looking forward to, and that is the end goal at the end of the day.
“It has all come round very quickly, it feels like we only played Carlisle the other day; me and the team are very excited about that first game against Crewe [Alexandra]. Ideally, we want to come here and win, and I feel that will be the first stepping stone on this journey that we are hopefully going to have.”
The Ammies take on Crewe in the opening round of this year’s League Two competition, and the ambitious young shot-stopper – pardon the pun – will no doubt be looking to lay down the gauntlet as the outright number one as soon as possible.
The ex-Wrexham AFC number, who has flirted with the first-choice spot plenty before, is technically returning to the team for the second time, too.
Now 38, Howard started his career in Arsenal’s youth set-up, going on to represent 13 different clubs, including Scottish side St Mirren, Bolton Wanderers here in Greater Manchester, Blackpool, Scunthorpe and Carlisle, making at least 30 appearances for all of them.
He spent most of his time at Sheffield United from 2012-2015, playing a total of 80 times for the Blades, before joining Wrexham, where he also reached half a century of games.
It remains to be seen which of the two will push hardest for a spot in the starting XI. Here’s what Salford fans can expect/hope for more of:
Matty Young showed plenty of bright sparks at Salford City in 24/25.
Oasis are clearly doing something very deliberate for the as-yet-unconfirmed Live ’25 reunion album
Danny Jones
We’ve still not emotionally recovered from Oasis’ five homecoming nights in Manchester, and after seeing that the band just released a live recording of ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol’ from Heaton Park, it’s taken us right back to Friday, 11 July, and we can’t stop thinking about a Live ’25 album.
In fact, while the live record of the reunion world hasn’t been confirmed just yet, we’re becoming increasingly convinced that this is exactly what fans are going to get – and following the second Live ’25 concert capture dropping this week, we’re almost certain we know what they’re doing.
And if so, you can consider the vinyl of the ‘Oasis Live ’25‘ LP already in the basket.
Many of you might have already thought the same thing, but for anyone it hasn’t yet clicked for, let us explain; we got the live taping of ‘Slide Away’ from the Principality Stadium in Cardiff to start with, i.e. the first stop on the world tour. Here’s a snippet of how it sounds:
Have we listened to it pretty much non-stop ever since? Yes, but concentrate, that’s not the point we’re getting at; we think Oasis are doing something very specific for their almost inevitable Live ’25 album.
Up next was the aforementioned ‘Cigs and Alcohol’, performed and recorded on home turf right here in 0161, and released in honour of their magnificent Manc comeback.
More accurately, the live version of the song is plucked from their unforgettable opening evening at Heaton Park, as opposed to any of the other five dates.
Can you see where we’re going with this yet?…
With their place of birth having waited more than a decade and a half to hear the first few iconic chords that signal the start of the timeless Oasis classic and a pure rock and roll blowout, you can literally hear the energy from the crowd in your ears.
If you haven’t heard it dozens of times already, take a listen for yourselves and feel free to Poznań wherever you happen to be reading this:
That first Poznań for #OasisManchester hit like a chuffing freight train. 🔥
Upon checking the date of the Cardiff recording of ‘Slide Away’ was taken from, we noticed that they had also chosen the inaugural night of the entire Live ’25 tour, i.e. their very first live show in 16 years.
While we’re aware an official Oasis reunion tour album is technically still TBC, if you see a third live track released after their five shows in the capital get underway this Friday (25 July), you can pretty much bank on the special live release being all but nailed on.
So, not only are we getting an Oasis Live ’25 reunion documentary from the man behind Peaky Blinders, but it looks like they’ll be providing fans with a virtual tour and a chance to experience/relive the gigs aurally, with each of the 23 tracks on the setlist being pulled from a different city on the world tour.
Now, while this isn’t an entirely unheard of idea in the world of live albums, that’s not all.
Better still, if our suspicions are correct and the next drop is taken from night one of Oasis Live ’25 in London (bonus points if you can guess which tune they go for), then the entire thing will capture the sonics and atmosphere at its best: propped up by the utter euphoria of a dream finally being realised.
We’re sure they could pull the audio at any part of the set, from any old date, and it would sound great, but nothing is like the palpable ecstasy you could quite literally hear on the opening nights in Cardiff, Manchester and, no doubt, Wembley. Having said that, the final farewell was pretty biblical too.
Put simply, isolate any night of the world tour and there’ll be something unique in the master.
Die-hards have been waiting what feels like a lifetime to finally see their favourite band in the flesh again; actually, like many of us here in Greater Manchester and indeed all over the world, some were simply too young to experience the Britpop craze and ‘Oasis Mania’ the first time around.
They obviously have a huge following not just in the UK and Ireland, but all over: the US, Japan, across South East Asia and throughout most of South America – you only have to watch clips or even hear Noel Gallagher talk about Buenos Aires to not how ‘mad fer it’ they are over there.
For a lot of fans, this IS their 1990s moment, and even those who sadly didn’t manage to get tickets have a chance to almost feel like they were there.
One thing’s for sure: if/when the Oasis Live ’25 album arrives, that Manchester buzz will take some beating in the unofficial contest to see who loves the legendary British rock band the most.
Emily Sergeant -
10th October 2023 
