Life in Salford 27 • November 2019 5
Sixty three successes and counting Bed every night continues Hundreds of homeless Salford people will continue to benefit from Greater Manchester’s unique scheme A Bed Every Night. It provides a bed, a warm welcome and personal support for anyone sleeping rough and helped over 2,000 people in its first year. Nearly 700 people moved on to long-term accommodation. Another £6 million funding will provide 400 places across Greater Manchester until June 2020, including women-only spaces, provision for couples, dogs and people with complex needs. Front-line staff and volunteers will be trained to help people get health services. See www.bedeverynight.co.uk for how you can donate your time, goods or money to organisations which support people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless across Salford and Greater Manchester.
Salford City Council’s rough sleepers team has helped 63 people off the streets and into their own homes in its first year. Six outreach workers are on the streets every day covering the whole city. Their work complements the A Bed Every Night scheme which accommodates around 115 people a night, helping them with long-term support. City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “Some of the rough sleepers we have helped wouldn’t even speak to our staff at first. Others insisted they were fine sleeping rough and refused any help at all while some were only too glad to get off the streets that very evening. “No matter how long it takes to engage with them, our teams won’t give up. We have 30 flats, shared houses across Greater Manchester, eight emergency beds and use bed and breakfasts and hotels, on top of 30 beds at the Narrowgate shelter which is open all day. We’ve even moved a group of people from the shelter into a shared house after they became friends while staying there. “We don’t just put people under a roof and expect them to cope. Our support workers will refer them to any health care they need and go with them to appointments if need be. We will help them anyway we can with furniture, finances, identity documents or education and training." Councillor Tracy Kelly, lead member for housing, said: “What makes Salford unique is that all our housing and neighbourhood workers pull together as a team. “We also have great support from a range of housing associations and local charities. If someone asks for help we will work to break down any barriers to finding them accommodation and the support they need to prevent them sleeping rough. Please contact us.”
Contact us for help and advice:
A warm welcome at the Narrowgate night shelter
In person - call at Salford Housing Options Point, 7 Wesley Street, Swinton, M27 6AD, 8.30am to 4.30pm on Monday to Friday (1.30pm to 4. 30pm on Tuesdays) or Salford Loaves and Fishes, Paddington Close, Pendleton on Mondays, Wednesdays or Thursdays 8am to 2pm (general advice)
Thursdays 10am to 12 noon (housing advice). Online - see www. salford.gov.uk/housing for details. For emergency help out of hours call 0161 794 8888.
