News

A look at Embassy Village as construction on Manchester’s homeless housing project begins

The underlying motto is 'A hand up, not a hand out.'

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 21st November 2024

Work has officially begun on Manchester’s long-rumoured Embassy Village, a new living quarters designed specifically to house the local homeless community.

Set to be the largest purpose-built village of its kind in the UK, the hope is to provide short to medium-term housing for up to 40 rough sleepers in the Greater Manchester area.

Planning permission for the £4 million project proposed by the Embassy Charity was handed down back in 2021 and enabling works have been gradually taking place, with the land now fully prepped for construction to begin.

Officially breaking ground on Tuesday, 19 November, developers and regeneration specialists Peel Waters shared the first images from the site as well as concept artwork for what the district will look like once completed.

The 4.5-acre brownfield site sits beneath 22 railway arches just off the Egerton Street Bridge near Castlefield and the bustling Regent Road which heads towards Salford. Although it was initially said rooms would be made from shipping containers, the units will now be proper purpose-built structures.

ADVERTISEMENT

Designed to house homeless and vulnerable people living in and around Manchester within individual units, Embassy Village is a joint non-profit venture by both Peel Waters and well-known property company Capital&Centric.

Contractor Vermont Group will be taking on the construction for free, with around 50 organisations offering their services pro bono, including AEW Architects, Planit and Jon Matthews Architects, who helped design the living quarters and wider communal space from the ground up.

ADVERTISEMENT

Aiming to create a genuinely beneficial community environment, with those staying there able to access green spaces, mini-allotment plots, sports facilities; counselling services, laundry rooms, computer spaces and tonnes more, they’ve come a long way from offering tour bus beds to the homeless.

Residents will also start off on the right path towards getting back on their feet and those staying there will be required to carry out six hours of training per week in things like shopping, cooking, budgeting and other key life skills.

Speaking on the first day of proper construction, Peel Waters‘ director James Whittaker said: “Today’s launch event is an important milestone, marking years of hard work and collaboration to deliver the UK’s first purpose-built community village…”

ADVERTISEMENT

He went on to thank all of those who have backed the plans so far, including Greater Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham, who has already applauded it as a “fantastic idea.”

With several local organisations either offering their help for free or contribute by donating to the project, the speed at which work can now move is increasing and it is expected that the 24 homes, as well as the central ‘village hall’ space, will be finished within the next 10 months.

The aim is for Embassy Village to be completed in its entirety by the end of 2025 and with more and more businesses being invited to help with the development along the way, the amount of resources and manpower is only looking like it will increase with approximately £1m still needed to fully bring it to life.

Read more:

Cooperating with the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, which specialises in helping the homeless through its ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, Embassy are now working on finding long-term funding for the village’s operational costs once it is up and running.

Another key benefactor is The Moulding Foundation, an organisation dedicated to alleviating social inequalities, who donated £3.5m to support the village’s construction.

ADVERTISEMENT

Co-founder, Jodie Moulding, told Prolific North: “For most people, access to housing, healthcare, and education is a given – but for others, it is a privilege…

“It has taken an unbelievable amount of time, effort, and energy to get to this point, so finally breaking ground is a huge milestone for everyone involved in bringing Embassy Village to life.”

As for Embassy themselves the charity’s director, Sid Williams, added: “Special thanks go to Matt and Jodie Moulding for their financial backing and the teams at Peel Waters, Capital&Centric, the Mayor’s Charity and Manchester City Council for making this happen.”

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Peel Waters (supplied)

News

Endangered baby giant otter triplets have been born at Chester Zoo

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

This calls for celebration, as Chester Zoo has welcomed baby giant otter triplets in what is huge news for the endangered species.

It’s been a really exciting start to 2026 at Chester Zoo, as it was only a couple of days ago we got to see Dotty the baby Kirk’s dik-dik – which is one of the smallest antelopes in the world – take her first steps, and now it’s time to say hello to three new arrivals in the form of giant otter pups.

The trio are the first of their kind to be born at the zoo in several years, and arrive as part of an international conservation effort to boost numbers.

Arriving to first-time parents Bonita and Manu, up until now, the three giant otter pups have remained tucked away in their cosy holt with mum feeding them regularly until they more than tripled in size – but now, they’ve officially entered into the big wide world.

Following their first health check-up with the zoo’s veterinary team, conservationists have revealed the sex of the pups to be two males and a female

Their names are yet to be chosen, so keep your eyes peeled.

Endangered baby giant otter triplets have been born at Chester Zoo / Credit: Chester Zoo

Chester Zoo has described this triple birth as a ‘rare boost’ for one of the world’s most endangered species, as there are thought to be fewer than 5,000 giant otters surviving in the wild right now.

Giant otters are the world’s largest species of otter, with a powerful build, sharp teeth, and a highly social nature. As one of the apex predators in the waterways where they live, they play a crucial role in maintaining the health and balance of freshwater ecosystems. 

But sadly, experts say the species faces ‘an uncertain future’, with their decline largely driven by deforestation, water pollution, and illegal hunting, leading them to be listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), meaning they face a very-high risk of extinction without urgent conservation action. 

“The arrival of these three giant otter pups is a hugely special moment and marks the first time the species has been born here in seven years,” explained Rachael Boatwright, who is the Assistant Team Manager of carnivores at Chester Zoo.

“The pups recently had their very first health check-up at eight weeks old, where they were weighed and had their heart, teeth and overall condition assessed by the zoo’s vets. We’re delighted to confirm that all three are healthy and thriving – and that we have two males and one female pup.

Read more:

“At eight weeks old, the pups will now start to venture outside alongside parents Bonita and Manu, who will start introducing them to the water and all of the essential skills they’ll need as they grow.”

Featured Image – Chester Zoo

News

Hordes of people dressed as giant poos run through Manchester for bowel cancer awareness

Danny Jones Danny Jones

If you happened to be in town on Thursday and noticed a bunch of people dressed as giant poos running through the city centre and wondered, ‘What the hell is going on?’, it was this…

We know Manchester has a serious case of the runs, what with the annual Marathon and Great Manchester race, both just around the corner (one literally just next week), but this takes the cake.

On a more heartfelt note, although there is an obvious and innate silliness to this now annual get-together, it’s all for a very important and worthwhile cause.

Uniting for a fourth time, the Pall Mall Medical team (along with a couple of us here at The Manc) are hoping to flush out the stigma and silence surrounding bowel cancer awareness.

blaze running club
blaze run club manchester
Credit: The Manc Group

Starting from Pall Mall’s very own clinic on King St, more than 105 runners laced up their shoes and popped on emoji suits, toilet costumes, daft poo hats and more for a 5k jog around the city centre alongside local run club, Blaze.

They even tried to make the route in the shape of a poo, too.

Why such a specific number, you ask? Well, that’s the exact number of people who are sadly diagnosed with bowel cancer across the North West every single week.

It’s an alarming statistic, but once you pair it with the fact that they make up the rising number of new cases being reported in the country – more than a whopping 41,000 each year – you can see why they’re desperate to get more people talking about the disease.

Moreover, the rate among under 50s has also seen a concerning rise since the 90s, but this also means that the earlier it’s caught, the better people like Pall Mall can help with treatment.

The sooner it’s spotted, the greater the chance of survival, with 90% of those diagnosed at the earliest possible stage surviving for five years or more; that’s why these lot are hoping to better the discourse around bowel-related issues.

Besides offering important scans and blood tests for numerous health conditions, they also boast the dedicated and revolutionary ColoAlert® testing service, which is a German import that’s more accurate (around 85%) and effective than most others here in the UK.

runners manchester city centre
poo protests run
poo run route bowel cancer awareness
A lovely bunch of sh**heads… (Credit: The Manc)

It has quite literally proved to be a life-changing bit of kit for so many, and for Pall Mall’s Dr Chun Tang, this whole initiative has a deep personal connection.

Having sadly lost his father to the illness, as well as his brother being diagnosed with bowel cancer, he knows all too well how important increasing the conversation is – bowel cancer being the second biggest killer in the UK after lung conditions.

Even before you book in a check-up, Dr Tang says it’s simple to spot noteworthy signs at home: “Any blood in the stools, streaks in your poo, on the pan or on the paper; any changes in your digestion such as diarrhoea, constipation and [continued] fatigue, then see your GP or come visit us at Pall Mall.”

Best of all, the money raised with the latest ‘Poo Protest’ all goes towards Bowel Cancer UK, so well done to everyone involved.

For once, we couldn’t be happier to hear so many people talking sh**.

Throughout April, Pall Mall are offering £75 off the ColoAlert® Bowel Cancer stool test, and 20% off the Virtual Colonoscopy in Aprilo. To find out more about the event and book an appointment, you can click right HERE.

dr tang pall mall
pall mall medical manchester
Credit: The Manc

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group

More News

Beyond The Music moves to MediaCity for 2026 festival

Art & Culture

Beyond The Music reveals first wave of lineup ahead of inaugural Salford edition

DJ Sharan Artist of the Month Audio North

Audio

Audio North’s Artist of the Month: Sharan | April 2026

City Centre

‘A new kind of night out’ – new competitive social games venue opens in Manchester city centre

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches