In what was a real community effort service users and staff donated money and items to create wellbeing packs of practical items such as hats, gloves, wipes, toothpaste and sanitary products for those who could be spending Christmas sleeping on the street. The packs were readied and taken to Lifeshare on Sunday 12th December.
Lifeshare was established in 1984 and is Manchester’s oldest charity dedicated to supporting homeless and vulnerable people in Greater Manchester. It is a voluntary organisation that aims to meet the needs of homeless and vulnerable people in Manchester and Salford. They offer practical assistance, support and information to people on the streets. They also provide continued assistance that enables people to secure suitable accommodation, support them in maintaining their tenancies, and help them to access initiatives that carry their lives forward.
Business Relationship Manager Kim Law, who has close links with Lifeshare, said, “Outside of my Cygnet role I volunteer with the Lifeshare breakfast project each weekend serving breakfasts and chatting with those in need. Their stories are a mixture of sad, heartwarming, tragic and inspiring in some cases. I was so happy to hand out the lovely gifts from Cygnet Lodge Salford to people I know will really appreciate them.”
Cygnet Lodge Salford is a high dependency inpatient rehabilitation service for women. The service, which opened in January 2020 supports individuals with a primary diagnosis of mental illness, but they may also have a complex secondary diagnosis, including a personality disorder.