Christmas Project

Whilst Christmas brings joy to many, for others it can be a time of loneliness, hardship and depression, bringing with it an increased risk of suicide. It is also a particularly vulnerable time for those who are homeless - in 2009, overnight temperatures dropped to a record low of minus 17.6 degrees.

What we offer

At Christmas, when homeless and vulnerable people need comfort and support more than at any other time, a lack of friends and family with whom to spend the festive period only exaggerates the feeling of isolation. At Lifeshare, we relieve this isolation by operating an 'open house' out of the Charter St Ragged School on Dantzic St in Ancoats from 8am to 8pm for six days over the Christmas period. From this facility, we are able to provide:

• Company: Every day, we are staffed by around 60 volunteers who like nothing more than a chat over a cup of tea, a game of scrabble, or a sound thrashing at table tennis
• Entertainment: Television, table tennis, board games and live entertainment in the evenings
• Food: A cooked breakfast, soup and sandwiches for lunch, a hot evening meal and unlimited tea, coffee and biscuits
• Clothing: Trousers, t-shirts, jumpers, hats, gloves, scarves, socks and underwear
• Bedding: Sleeping bags and blankets
• Toiletries: Toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and shampoo
• Medical care: On most days, we have an on-site doctor, podiatrist and dentist

This work is kindly supported by donations from the public and the very generous support of local food suppliers.