Restaurant manager surprises homeless outreach group with huge stack of free pizzas
Don't Walk Past are out five nights a week helping homeless people in Manchester, but this kind gesture from a stranger really touched the volunteers' hearts,
A local homeless outreach groupwas surprised with a generous donation on Tuesday when a local restaurant manager handed them a huge stack of free pizzas.
The team was out on the streets of Manchester city centre doing their outreach work with the homeless community when Oxford Road’s Pizza Express manager Jamie clocked them through the restaurant’s windows.
After taking the time to come over and speak to the Don’t Walk Past team and find out a little bit about what they do to help people in need, he then went back to the restaurant – only to emerge once again with a stack of fifteen freshly-baked pizzas for them to hand out on the streets.
The incredibly kind gesture from a stranger made an impression on the group’s volunteers, who praised Jamie’s ‘kindness and generosity’ and added that it was ‘very much appreciated.’
The group revealed that Jamie also offered to do the same every week from now on.
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Volunteer Lisa Hamilton has a cafe where she accepts homeless donations. She is pictured alongside restaurant manager Jamie with the stack of pizzas. / Image: Kelly Butler / Don’t Walk Past Facebook Group
Image: Don’t Walk Past Facebook Group
Volunteer Kelly Butler later took to Facebook to praise his kind actions, writing: “Thank you so much to this lovely gent at Pizza Express on Oxford Road who so kindly made up these pizzas for us last night to be handed out, your kindness and generosity was very much appreciated.”
The charitable group, headed up by organiser Ronny English, is entirely self-funded and can regularly be seen parked up on the streets of Manchester and Salford helping the homeless in any way they can.
Relying entirely on donations and the kindness of strangers, the team of volunteers is out every night from Monday to Friday in their pink hi-vis handing out food, warm clothes, toiletries and other necessities to people who find themselves hard up and with nowhere to go.
The group also has an Amazon Wish List where those who want to support it can purchase items for local homeless people in need, such as hand and foot warmers, tubs of hot chocolate, beanies, underwear, antibacterial wipes, sleeping bags, instant coffee and more.
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Speaking to The Manc on the work that Don’t Walk Past do, Ronny English said: “Since the cost of living hit everyone our outreach nights are all about food n drink.
“Our scenario is we have two ladies per night cooking 50 hot dinners plus we have end of day donations from KFC & GREGGs. And still people are coming to us and being sent away hungry, there’s not enough food it’s terrible.”
Read more:Manchester bar launches £2.99 cost of living menu to ‘put two fingers up’
Bongo’s Bingo is hosting a series of special ‘Christmas Cracker’ and New Year’s shows
Danny Jones
Britain’s beloved Bongo’s Bingo is hosting a series of massive end-of-season specials to ring in the new year, announcing a number of their famous ‘Christmas Cracker’ and festive parties.
They’re also holding a ‘Big Fat Bingo of the Year’ (we don’t see any trademark issues whatsoever…), including one for NYE.
As one of the best nights out, not just in the North but in the country, they’re hoping to send you into 2026 singing, dancing, laughing, and hopefully with some lasting memories and maybe a prize or two.
Confirming the latest raft of shows starting this month, you can expect all the usual Bongo’s madness and more, plus all the bells and whistles, as well as plenty of tinsel and holiday cheer.
We’d love a new hoover for Christmas, to be fair. (Credit: Press shot)
Returning to Albert Hall as it regularly does throughout the rest of the calendar, Bongo’s Bingo is promising to give Manchester a Christmas and New Year’s period they’ll never forget.
As they put it, the hosts will be “transporting everyone back to the time when coloured tree lights and flammable tinsel ruled supreme, because the halcyon days of turkey with all the trimmings, mini bottles of Babycham and not a naughty elf in sight are BACK big time at Bongo’s Bingo.”
Bloomin’ ‘eck, they don’t half know how to get a crowd fired up even before they’re in the room, do they?
Set to deliver all the best festive tunes, “dodgy Santa Clauses” – their words, not ours – as well as plenty of foil hats fresh from the Christmas cracker, they’ll be partying with us Mancs multiple times throughout December, not to mention a bonus show at the end of November as we fully swap autumn for winter.
As for the ‘Twixmas’/’Christmas gooch’ period (again, not our words…), the format will then switch to the Big Fat Bingo of the Year, with quiz elements featuring all the biggest memes, tunes and cultural moments of 2025.
You can see the full list of Bongo’s Bingo festive dates for 2025 down below:
Bongo’s Bingo Christmas Cracker and Big Fat Bingo of the Year dates
Christmas Cracker
November – Fri, 28
December – Sat 6 Dec (day and night), Sat 20 Dec, Sun 21 (day), Mon 22 and Tues 23
Big Fat Bingo Of The Year
Sat, 27 Dec (day and night), Sun 28 (day) and NYE 2025
If you’re interested in booking onto Bongo’s Bingo this Christmas and/or New Year’s, you can find out more information and grab your tickets right HERE.
Manchester Cathedral to be lit up with ‘truly stunning’ new 360° walk-through projection this winter
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Cathedral is set to be lit up with ‘truly stunning’ new 360° walk-through projection show this winter.
After captivating more than a million spectators globally and illuminating dozens of the world’s most extraordinary historic landmarks over the past couple of years, LUMINISCENCE is set to make its highly anticipated UK debut this winter – and Manchester Cathedral has been chosen as the lucky location for this dazzling event.
Combining 360° video mapping, new orchestral arrangements of iconic songs, and a narrative story celebrating everything that makes Manchester and its residents so special, visitors will be invited to step into a ‘spellbinding fusion’ of light, sound, and storytelling.
LUMINISCENCE is set to pay tribute to Manchester’s rich cultural heritage through specially arranged orchestral renditions of iconic anthems – with the setlist including songs by Oasis, The Verve, Joy Division, and Elbow, just to name a few.
Manchester Cathedral is set to be lit up with a ‘truly stunning’ new 360° walk-through projection this winter / Credit: Supplied
A brand-new script has been written for the show by BAFTA award winning writer Tim Whitnall, while narration will be provided by legendary local actor, Christopher Eccleston.
The show will be brought to life further by Manchester Collectives Gospel Choir, who’ll add a soaring choral dimension to what sounds set to be an already-powerful immersive experience.
Light from a battalion of high-power projectors becomes the storyteller inside the Cathedral, transforming the ancient architecture into a vast living canvas where every statue, carving, pillar, and stained-glass window comes to life.
LUMINISCENCE takes over Manchester Cathedral from Wednesday 14 January through to 26 March 2026, and audiences are encouraged to book early to avoid missing this unique experience as there’ll be strict capacity during the limited run.
Audiences can choose between Gold and Silver ticket tiers, offering options to suit every budget.
Gold tickets include fast-track entry and a glass of fizz on arrival, while Silver tickets for adults start from £29 (including a 10% booking fee), with concession prices available too.
Tickets go on general sale on Tuesday 18 November, and you can book them here.
Georgina Pellant -
29th June 2023 
