Festive cheer as homeless charity cooks up Christmas dinners for hundreds of Manchester's most vulnerable

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Inside a building in the heart of the Northern Quarter, more than 180 of Manchester's most vulnerable people gathered for Christmas dinner yesterday.

While many of us were fortunate enough to enjoy the company of our loved ones at home, Christmas Day can be more a challenging time for some.

Each year, Lifeshare, Manchester's oldest homeless charity, opens its doors to those in need of warmth, shelter and food. "We don't ask any questions," says Jimmy Dunn, who runs Lifeshare’s breakfast mornings. "We've had a mixture of people - sleeping rough, homeless people, people who live on their own or living in poverty." Upon arrival, guests were presented with a selection box and also had access to a hot shower, clean clothes, and shoes.

At 1pm, a steaming hot Christmas dinner was served while there were singers and other entertainment. Throughout the day, 187 people were fed by Lifeshare's team of selfless volunteers. "I've never seen so many clean plates," said Mr Dunn. "You could hear a pin drop when everyone was having Christmas dinner." Over the last few days, Lifeshare's base at Mosaic Wellbeing Centre in Dale Street has been a hive of activity.