Star date: 16th March 2019

SALFORD HOMELESS SHELTER JOINS NO MORE DEATHS ON OUR STREETS PROTEST

Residents and volunteers of the Eccles Saving People Shelter joined Manchester campaigners last night in a candlelit vigil for the 53 homeless people who have died on Manchester streets. The vigil was held on the steps of the former headquarters of homeless voluntary organisation, Lifeshare, which was evicted from the building two weeks ago.

Banners reading 'Blood On Your Hands' and 'Enough Is Enough' were erected on the side of the building, which is now being used as a construction site office for the Chinese led luxury NOMA development, where a one bedroom apartment costs over £250,000.

Full details here...

Last night, on the doorstep of the former Lifeshare headquarters, 53 candles were lit to represent the 53 homeless deaths on Manchester streets reported recently, in what was both a vigil and a protest.

For many years, Lifeshare has helped meet the needs of homeless and vulnerable people in Manchester and Salford, operating from the old 'Ragged School' in Dantzic Street in the shadow of the shiny glass Co-Op building near Victoria Station.

Lifeshare provided meals, support and practical advice from the building...but two weeks ago, volunteers and workers arrived to find the locks on the doors changed, and the organisation was evicted without notice.

"We've got all our clothes and food in there, so for the last two weeks we've come back here with a burger van to make sure we can feed the homeless" said Lifeshare volunteer, Tony

"The reason we've been shut is that we've been told by the people who own the building that it's condemned so we can't use it – but this is a next to a massive building site and is being used as offices for the construction company, so it's obviously not condemned" he explained "Lifeshare has moved two miles away for a while and we're waiting to find out if we can get somewhere closer. This is why we have held this vigil here."

The contrast couldn't be greater. A few feet from the steps of the Ragged School are huge hoardings boasting 'Pretty City Living'...for those who can afford it.

Re-branded 'MeadowSide', the development, part of NOMA, is led by the Far East Consortium and the price of a one bedroom apartment is £251,950, rising to almost £500,000 for a three bed. The website boasts that this will be "A place with heart. Where everyone is invited to gather and grow..."

The hypocrisy is screaming. While Lifeshare, which looks after the most vulnerable people in society, is booted out, profiteers have moved in – and the politicians are silent.

While there is sadness for 53 homeless deaths on Manchester streets, there is also anger at the lack of 'heart'...

"I used Lifeshare when I was younger but I'm now living in the Eccles Shelter" said Stephen, who helped to light the candles and was clearly distraught "Andy Burnham is a bullshitter, claiming he's helping the homeless, but how can he be when there's more deaths on the streets?

"He's only doing a 'bed for the night', whereas we have a shelter with 15 people in there, helping them move on, helping them get jobs" he explained "Burnham is saying 'We'll get you a bed for the night but we're not going to put you on a straight and narrow path'...and there's 53 deaths, probably more. 

"These new flats are for rich people, while the poor get poorer" he added "Chinese people are buying into the properties, while they are taking food out of the mouths of the homeless. If you haven't got money you're nowhere in this life. This is the goddamn state of the corrupted world, where politicians are only there for the power and the money and greed. Lifeshare was a life saver."

As the 53 candles were being lit during the vigil, security at the old school boomed warnings over loud speakers, as the police hovered anxiously.

"We are here at Lifeshare to do a peaceful protest" said Angela Barratt of Salford Street Support, which has been helping the Eccles Saving People Shelter "Mention Lifeshare on the streets and it brings a smile to everyone's face. It is a life saving centre for young people, where they treat them as a family. It's disgusting that it's been evicted and Andy Burnham should get all his investors to help Lifeshare get a building in the centre. The centre needs to re-open and stay there permanently."

As the vigil and protest ended, the corrugated plastic banners that had been spray painted with the slogans 'Blood On Your Hands', 'Enough Is Enough', ''R.I.P. 53 Mcr' and 'No More Deaths', were left behind...

"Someone can use them to sleep on" said one of the campaigners. With absolutely no irony...

For more detail on the Eccles Saving People Shelter - click here