is Manchester’s oldest charity dedicated to supporting homeless and vulnerable people in Greater Manchester. Established in 1984 by a group of volunteers who recognised the lack of support for the city’s increasing number of rough sleepers. In the following decades, the charity’s initiatives would become fundamental to the efforts in tackling homelessness in Manchester.
Lifeshare remains focused on helping meet the needs of homeless and vulnerable people in Manchester and Salford. The first point of contact is with people on the streets, offering practical assistance, support and information. They also provide continued assistance that enables people to secure suitable accommodation, support them in maintaining their tenancies and help access initiatives that carry their lives forward.
The charity is a non-religious organization and has no political affiliations.
Their objectives can be summarised :
- identify street homelessness and offer assistance in obtaining emergency accommodation, signposting other relevant agencies and information for support
- alleviate aspects of poverty and hardship through redistribution of resources
- assist people to access Primary Health Care and to promote health and harm reduction
Lifeshare has evolved as the needs of Manchester’s most vulnerable people have changed over the past four decades. They started by providing food to rough sleepers from a burger van before pioneering sexual health support and needle exchanges for sex workers.
The last decade has seen the charity at the forefront of the fightback against spice and leading the way in supporting young people with complex needs.At the core is the belief that all people regardless of race, creed, sexuality, gender, age, level of ability or HIV status are entitled to respect and dignity and should be afforded equal opportunities.
Newbury Soup Kitchen was set up in 2017 to help people who are marginalised and in poverty in Newbury and West Berkshire through outreach and healthy food provision. They focus on the whole person working with them to improve their situation: physically, emotionally and socially. Their team of volunteers and outreach workers commit to helping the vulnerable find a voice and improve their lives. The approach is rooted in treating all as equals and underpinned by respect, kindness. Building trust is at the heart of gaining the confidence of the people in need.
There is a firm belief that no one should be homeless or struggling. They aim to have a permanent community centre in Newbury where anyone in need can come and receive care and support. The charity works with other agencies and charities to achieve the best outcomes.
They serve freshly cooked nutritious meals on three evenings every week in Newbury. A mobile kitchen serves meals to other areas and to those who do not come to the centre.The charity is much more than food. It also provides outreach support to those struggling with housing, debt, health issues and substance dependency.
Filling forms in for benefits and access to the community nurse, hairdresser and eye-tests are all part of the service as are laundry facilities and shower tokens which are offered to rough sleepers.Working with the Samaritans at a drop-in centre has proven remarkably effective.
More to be addressed but Newbury Soup Kitchen is building on results that have made a difference.
We wanted to find a like-minded charity in Bristol with a great track record in tackling homelessness. After much research we contacted Caring in Bristol to explore whether they were a good fit to become one of Our Homeless Hub charities. We made our first grant in February 2025 and are focused on making this long term relationship a great success.
Caring in Bristol started in 1987 and has developed over the years to become a real force in the city having a significant positive impact on homelessness. Use these links to their site to find out about the charity’s history and how their programmes have developed.
They believe that a safe, warm home is a human right. Despatching homelessness in the city to the history books is the primary objective but while it persists it is all about supporting those in need. Campaigning for change and increasing support for the homeless are also part of the challenge.
Like many charities addressing the crisis of homelessness, Caring in Bristol could only offer its services because of the huge support it gets from its volunteers and funders.