Help the Homeless and Needy helping Manchester’s homeless over the winter

Help for the Homeless & Needy from Northern Quota on Vimeo.

Manchester's homeless crisis is getting worse year by year. 

Official statistics show that since the Conservative Government came into power in 2010, homelessness has increased by over 2,000 nationally; rising from 1,768 in 2010 to 3,569 last year. 

In Greater Manchester alone, statistics show there were 101 rough sleepers in the autumn of 2014, 31 more than the same time the previous year. This figure is widely disputed as underestimating the true numbers of rough sleepers on the streets of Manchester.

Billa Ahmed, one of the founders of Help the Homeless & Needy Manchester (Open Hearts Open Minds Foundation), sees first hand the true numbers of homelessness in Manchester and Bolton, also disagreeing with official statistics: "We're the ones who see the real number of homeless.

"From 2010, it's gone absolutely crazy. The number of homeless we see double since last year alone! The Government do the count but they can't see the fluctuation in numbers like we do."

Not many people would do what Billa Ahmed and the other volunteers from the Help for the Homeless and Needy charity do. They tirelessly work 7 days a week to make sure that the homeless across Bolton and Manchester are fed and have access to warm clothes.

Not only do they do all of this voluntarily, but every single penny donated goes back into the charity, as part of their 100% policy, which is a rarity among UK Charities!  

Billa added that: "Without our beautiful, kind hearted volunteers, and all those who donate and support us, no one of this would be posiible."

To Donate or volunteer, you can visit their FaceBook page,  Open Hearts Open Minds website, or call Billa on 07973214603