The local lads behind a newly-founded initiative to “make sure the homeless of Manchester don’t go hungry” have launched a fundraiser to help with their mission of becoming a registered charity.
Cold Hands Warm Heart – the brainchild of co-founders Jamie Lilley, 32, and Daniel Goodier, 30 – was set up as the harsh winter temperatures plummeted across the region around two months ago to make sure that no rough sleepers in Manchester are going hungry or without the basic essentials needed to make it through, and with the aim of offering a personal touch and meeting needs that other organisations in the area do not currently offer.
The pair started the organisation after hearing the tragic story of a 25-year-old man who sadly died earlier this year while sleeping rough in the doorway of an M&S in Manchester city centre.
“[Daniel] called me and said we need to do something to help.” Jamie told The Manc.
They decided to start with a simple, but impactful gesture, and so the very next night, Jamie, Daniel and their friend, Michael Donoghue, all chipped in £30 and went to a local Middleton takeaway to buy some pizzas to hand out to the homeless across the city centre.
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Jamie continued: “We ended up with 23 boxes of pizzas to go and hand out, and we split these in half and they went within 15 minutes of us being there”.
“There must have been around fifty to sixty people sleeping rough [on Market Street]”.
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After identifying that there was more the rough sleepers were in need of, the lads spoke to them and asked what exactly they required, with Jamie adding: “They asked us for pot noodles, coffee, boxers, sanitary towels, gloves, scarfs, sleeping bags, hand-warmers and trainers, and we just knew we couldn’t just walk away, so Daniel and I went back again two days later after collecting donations of [those items].
“Once again though, these items lasted no more that 15 minutes, so we vowed to do more”.
Jamie Lilley
This is when the pair decided to call on the brilliant people of Greater Manchester for support.
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Jamie continued: “We made a page on Facebook, and we now have almost 1,500 people following us within a month [and we are] getting a reach of over 40,000 within the last 28 days too.
“We now have a team of 18 volunteers”.
And from original Middleton-based takeaway Ian Donatello’s – which has donated 15 pizzas each the lads go out and has even agreed to pay for a storage unit to store all the products bought – to a number of local small businesses and even “some big investors such as McVities, Howden’s and Chubb”, Jamie and Daniel have been blown away by the “amazing support” from the local community so far.
But there’s a significant hurdle they need to get over to be able to expand further.
Jamie said: “Nearly every company I’ve spoken to wants to help… but once I get five minutes into the call, they ask for my charity number, which at the moment we do not have, and that’s why we’re trying to raise the funds to become a charity”.
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To become a registered charity, the pair need to show that they can earn £5,000 in a year period to prove that they are a fundraising organisation, and so, they have since set up a JustGiving page in an attempt to hit that target.
Over 100 people have already donated to the fundraiser to clock up £2,400 and counting.
“I feel like we’ve got a treasure chest full of gold but no key to open it [and] now the only way we can open that treasure chest would be to get that charity number and once we do, we will then be able to use the funding to help bring so much more”.
Jamie Lilley
Jamie Lilley
Word of the vital work being carried out by Cold Hands Warm Heart has spread far beyond Manchester too, and it’s given Jamie and Daniel a clear vision for the future of the initiative.
“I feel the main goal that we are working towards is just to try and feed as many as we can,” Jamie added.
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“We’ve already had some interest from people in Dublin and in London who are wanting to do the same and use our organisation name, so not only would Cold Hands Warm Heart be feeding the homeless of Manchester, we would also be feeding the homeless of Dublin and London.
“Eventually, will be looking at getting more teams in place to cover the likes of Liverpool, Birmingham Nottingham and all over the UK”.
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If you would like to support Cold Hands Warm Heart for the future, and join in Jamie and Daniel’s fight to becoming a registered charity, all donations can be made via the JustGiving page here.
Every penny counts.
Trending
Images of latest Stone Roses x Man United collaboration kit leak online
Danny Jones
Images of the latest collaboration between Manchester United and The Stone Roses have been linked online.
Put simply, we think it looks mint, albeit very familiar.
Serving as yet another fitting tribute from his beloved football club, who already honoured the late, great, Manc musician at Old Trafford, it’s rumoured to launch later this year.
Snapped alongside United’s current third kit for the 25/26 season, the rumoured ‘lifestyle’ jersey is apparently coming very soon.
This pair of images has seemingly confirmed the claims made by trusted online kit source, Footy Headlines, who specialise in sharing pictures of the football shirts, boots and more, who had already reported on the release in 2025.
As you can see, not only does the design feature a striking blue take on the band’s iconic album art style (expanded from an original painting by guitarist John Squire), but if you look closely, it also features the band’s iconic song and overriding slogan, ‘I Wanna Be Adored’, built into the crest.
You can see the rest of the existing Stone Roses collection in full down below.
We’re sure there are loads of other little details besides the twist on the badge still to be spotted, but for now, all we know is that the world-famous sporting franchise is continuing to capitalise even further on The Stone Roses connection.
Since the last batch of officially licensed adidas x Stone Roses merch quickly became collector’s items, we can only assume that this latest shirt won’t be the only new addition.
For instance, one user already commented, ‘Where’s the bucket hat?’
As for Manchester United, they’re no doubt looking to generate as much revenue as possible after having to pay another sizeable severance package following the sacking of Ruben Amorim – the question is, who is going to be next?
Chester Zoo is hiring a ‘passionate’ new keeper to look after its elephants
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo is currently hiring someone to look after its elephants, and you can get your applications in the for role now.
If you’re after a career change in 2026, then surely it doesn’t get much better than this?
The UK’s biggest charity zoo currently has a vacancy open for a Keeper to join the team looking after the elephants on a permanent basis, and for the right candidate, this offers a fantastic opportunity to work with a breeding group of Asian elephants, leading in the development of science and welfare for the species.
Chester Zoo is responsible for one of Europe’s largest and most-diverse animal communities, and this is your chance to be a part of what makes it so special.
Chester Zoo is hiring a ‘passionate’ new keeper to look after its elephants / Credit: Chester Zoo
For this full-time role, the zoo is looking for an ‘enthusiastic, dynamic, and motivated’ individual to provide extensive knowledge and proven expertise in caring for and managing the elephant species within a zoological environment.
“We work hard because we love animals, we care about nature, we love Chester Zoo, and despite all the recent challenges thrown at us, we still want to be the best zoo in the world,” Chester Zoo said in its online advertisement for the new role.
“If you think you can help us to achieve that, then we’d love to hear from you.”
The ideal candidate for this job will have a HND or degree level qualification in a zoological related science or equivalent experience, and have proven experience in the care and management of large mammal species like elephants, as well as the highest standards of exhibitory.
They’ll also have ‘outstanding’ observational skills with excellent attention to detail.
The role of ‘Keeper – Elephants’ is 40 hours per week, with the working week being 10 days out of 14, including weekends and bank holidays as rostered, and the salary being £26,500 per annum.
Working at Chester Zoo comes with an ‘excellent benefits package’ and loads of perks too, including a generous pension scheme, 33 days paid holidays per year, a healthcare plan, pension scheme, a staff pass so you can visit the zoo for free, and complimentary tickets for friends and family.
Emily Sergeant -
8th March 2021 
