Business Briefings: Street Homelessness & Begging

Street Homelessness & Begging

CityCo and Manchester BID have a unique position at the heart of the city centre, at the intersection of business sectors, public agencies, delivery partners and operational suppliers.

This means we are always in the loop and know who to talk to. We can help you stay up to date with the latest tactical and training knowledge.

Manchester Homelessness Partnership

CityCo sits on the board of The Manchester Homelessness Partnership.

The MHP is a network of people experiencing homelessness, homeless charities, voluntary groups, and businesses, who are all working together to help tackle the problem.

Partners include; The Bishop of Manchester, Wood Street Mission, Riverside, The Booth Centre, Lifeshare, Coffee4Craig, Mustard Tree, The Men’s Room, Barnabus, Manchester Action on Street Health, Back on Track, Boaz Trust, On the Out, MACC, JustLife, Reach Out to the Community and Greater Together Manchester.

Street Engagement Hub

CityCo supports the work of Manchester’s Street Engagement Hub, based at the Mustard Tree in Ancoats.

The voluntary sector works in partnership with Manchester Council and Greater Manchester Police at the centre. There are many services on offer from Riverside Housing, NHS, St John’s Ambulance, Department for Work and Pensions, Coffee4Craig and more organisations.

The Hub provides practical support around issues for people who beg or engage in antisocial behaviour, and may be homeless or sleep rough. This includes:

• Provision of a safe and welcoming space
• Mental health support
• Alcohol and drug use support
• Basic wound care
• Support with applying for identification and bank accounts
• Money and debt advice
• Accommodation support
• Moving from begging to selling the Big Issue
• Referral to other organisations

Homelessness Services

For a list and map of city centre homelessness support services, go here.

Reporting Someone

To report someone who is sleeping rough outside business premises please consider:

• Is it a welfare issue? Report to the MCC Outreach team via Street Link
• Is it an anti-social behaviour issue? Report to the Manchester City Council ASB team. Call 0161 234 4612
• Is it a criminal issue/immediate threat? Report to the Police. Call 999

Real Change MCR: Charity Fund

CityCo supports 8Manchester’s ‘alternative giving’ homelessness charity Real Change MCR.

Instead of giving directly to people on the street, the charity encourages donations to the Real Change MCR fund from individuals and businesses.

Monies raised are accessed by the city’s homelessness organisations and charities who work carefully to support people who are, or have been, sleeping rough. Cash helps to pay for practical items that people may need when building a new life away from the streets.

Business Briefings

If you would like a more detailed briefing or training session for staff on any aspect, do get in touch.

For enquiries, please email events@cityco.com