Reach Out to the Community- ROC

16/09/2026

I am proud to be a member of the Realchangemcr panel.

This morning, the Real Change Panel Members were delighted to host our monthly meeting at Manchester Town Hall, following an invitation from Councillor Tracey Rawlins, Statutory Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council.
The Real Change MCR Panel is made up of dedicated volunteers who give their time, knowledge and expertise to help run, manage and allocate funding to support people experiencing homelessness.
Our panel brings together representatives from Manchester Metropolitan University, Booth Centre, Reach Out to the Community, CityCo, Game FM, Encore, Riverside and Manchester City Council.

It was a very productive meeting and it was lovely to meet Councillor Tracey Rawlins and have the opportunity to discuss the Real Change MCR Fund, the work we do and the impact we make across Manchester.
A huge thank you to Councillor Rawlins for the invitation and for taking the time to meet with us.
Together, we continue working towards positive Real Change 💚

16/09/2026

23/08/2026

A huge thank you to the Radisson Blu Hotel Manchester Airport for their generous cash donation. ❤️
We have been carrying out Homeless Outreach at Manchester Airport for the past 6 years, working closely with our partners at the airport to support people experiencing street homelessness.
This kind donation will go directly towards supporting the people we meet during our outreach, helping us provide practical assistance to those who need it most.
Thank you for supporting the work we do and helping us make a difference. 🙏❤️

17/08/2026

Reaching the people who can be missed

Over the past week, our homeless outreach teams have been out across the suburbs of South Manchester, carrying out welfare checks, offering support, making referrals and, importantly, making contact with people who may otherwise remain unseen.

The suburbs cover a huge area, and homelessness doesn’t always look the way people might expect. People can be sleeping in parks, woodland, secluded areas, underpasses, car parks and other hidden locations. Unlike the city centre, where rough sleeping can be more visible, people experiencing homelessness in suburban communities can be much easier to miss.

This is particularly important during periods of hot weather. People sleeping outside can be exposed to dehydration, heat exhaustion and other risks, while those who are isolated or hidden may have nobody checking on their welfare.

Our outreach over the past week included:

📍 Monday 10th August – Stephanie and James started at 6.00am at Manchester Airport before covering Wythenshawe, Didsbury, Withington, Fallowfield and Hulme.

📍 Tuesday 11th August – Stephanie and James were joined at Manchester Airport by representatives from the Homeless Mental Health Team and Change, Grow, Live (drug and alcohol services), demonstrating the importance of bringing specialist services together.

📍 Wednesday 12th August – James carried out outreach with Change, Grow, Live across areas of South Manchester.

📍 Friday 14th August – James and Vicky covered Manchester Airport, Wythenshawe Park, Didsbury, Withington and Moss Side.

📍 Saturday 15th August – Stephanie and Terry carried out outreach in and around Chorlton.

🤝 Partnership working is at the heart of effective outreach. Working alongside mental health, drug and alcohol, housing and other support services means that when we find someone who needs help, we can do more than simply check on their welfare — we can work together to identify their needs, make appropriate referrals and help connect them with the right support.

Homelessness doesn’t stop at the city centre boundary. People can be hidden in plain sight across our suburbs, and many may be missed unless we actively go looking.
That is why regular, targeted outreach and strong partnership working are so important especially when the weather is hot and the risks of being outside are even greater.

09/08/2026

FRIDAY 7TH AUGUST:

Early start for James and Vicky this morning, heading out from 6.30am to carry out welfare checks with people experiencing street homelessness across South Manchester.

The team take the time to check in, understand what support is needed and, where appropriate, make referrals to relevant services that can help.

Starting the day by making sure people know they’re not forgotten . 💚

26/07/2026

Life can change in an instant 🐝

Over the past few months, my family has experienced the unimaginable.
We lost my beautiful younger sister Kate, just weeks after being diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer at 53.

Watching someone you love go from living a full life, teaching, laughing, making plans for the future, to being gone in such a short space of time changes your perspective forever.

It has made me reflect even more deeply on the work we do at Reach Out to the Community.

Every person we meet has a story.

No one grows up dreaming of becoming homeless.
No one plans to need a food bank.
No one expects to lose everything.

For some, it’s the breakdown of a relationship. For others, it’s losing a job, poor mental health, domestic abuse, addiction, bereavement, illness, rising living costs, or simply one unexpected event that sets off a chain reaction.

The truth is, many of us are only a few difficult life events away from needing help ourselves.

My sister’s illness reminded me how quickly life can change.
One phone call changed our family’s world forever.
It reinforced something I’ve believed since founding Reach Out to the Community in 2016, compassion should never come with conditions.

When someone reaches out for help, they don’t need judgement. They need kindness.
They need dignity.
They need someone to believe in them until they can believe in themselves again.

Behind every person sleeping rough, every family relying on a food parcel & every individual struggling to cope is a human being with hopes, dreams, loved ones & a story that deserves to be heard.

Kate believed in that too.
She was incredibly proud of our charity & despite unknowingly living with cancer, she completed the Manchester Marathon 2 years ago to raise funds so we could continue supporting people facing homelessness & poverty.

The greatest lesson she leaves behind is that kindness matters.

So today, I simply ask this: before judging someone for where they are in life, remember that you probably don’t know what they’ve been through.

A little compassion can change someone’s day.

A little support can change someone’s future.

And sometimes, it can even save a life 💚

If you’d like to honour Kate’s memory and help us continue supporting people experiencing homelessness and poverty, you can donate here:

https://donate.giveasyoulive.com/fundraising/in-memory-of-kate-moore

24/07/2026

FRIDAY 23rd JULY:

Stephanie & James from our Outreach Team began their shift at midnight, carrying out welfare checks at Manchester Airport for anyone sleeping rough.

Following this, they continued outreach across Wythenshawe, Northenden, Didsbury, Withington, Fallowfield and Chorlton, offering support and ensuring those sleeping rough were aware of the services available to them.

23/07/2026

THURSDAY 23rd JULY:

This morning Stephanie was joined by Joanna Midgley for outreach, beginning at 5:45am in Chorlton before travelling across Manchester to Manchester Airport, Wythenshawe, Didsbury, Withington & Hulme.

Throughout the morning, they carried out welfare checks on people experiencing street homelessness, offering support, assessing immediate needs, & checking they were connected with the appropriate services where required.