At Eccles Youth Club yesterday, the Christmas songs were playing, an army of volunteers were on hand to serve a three course festive meal...and at the entrance greeting people as they came in was a doctor and his medical assistants gifting flu jabs to everyone...
"We're supporting the homeless population of Irlam and Eccles and offering them a flu vaccine because if you get complications with flu you can get pneumonia and sepsis and you can die, these are very real" explained Dr Wan-ley Yeung of Salford Primary Care Together
"People are dying on the streets at a young age; the average life expectancy is about 83 for women and 79 men, and if you're homeless that drops to 47 and 43" he added "Anything we can do to prevent that so people don't become statistics is really important."
It was a point underlined by Alec McFadden of the Salford Unemployed and Community Resource Centre, which jointly hosted the Christmas dinner with Salford Street Support...
"We've got this new joint project with Salford Primary Care Together for the homeless and ex-offenders to get dental and medical care" he said "So the logical thing to do today is to give them all flu jabs to save their lives, because that's what we're about."
There seemed no shortage of takers for the jab, which was on the menu alongside the traditional festive fayre and presents, with crackers courtesy of Makro and vouchers to get everyone a gift courtesy of Morrisons in Eccles.
"We're catering for eighty with a three course Christmas meal" said Angela Barratt of Salford Street Support "We feel as a community there's so much rising homelessness and people are isolated, so eating food brings people together, especially nice food...."
It was a day of good will and good health to all...
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