A plan to get rough sleepers off the streets of Manchester and into temporary accommodation this winter has been published.
Manchester City Council has confirmed it will be working with local partners and health services to set-out an action plan that makes sure no one experiencing street homelessness Greater Manchester is left out in the cold this winter.
While there is year-round provision at Etrop Grange Hotel in Wythenshawe – which is funded by the Council, with support from Greater Manchester Combined Authority(GMCA) – that’s dedicated to moving homeless people off the streets and into accommodation, with teams routinely walking around and connecting those in need with help, the winter brings increased challenges.
So, as the nights draw in, and the temperatures plummet, the Council has revealed that efforts will be “stepped-up even further” to encourage people sleeping rough to “come inside and access the wider support available”.
During periods of severe cold, the Council’s outreach team, together with Manchester Homelessness Partnership members, will be out and about from midnight to 4am, on top of their routine daytime outreach.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Council has published a plan to get Manchester’s rough sleepers off the streets this winter / Credit: Ethel Red (via Flickr)
Councils across the UK are known to put cold weather plans in place each year, with the national benchmark for them to come into force being when temperatures are forecast to drop to zero or below for three or more consecutive nights – but here in Manchester, the temperature only needs to be forecast to drop below freezing for a single night for the plans to be activated.
When this is the case, emergency accommodation and assistance will be provided for anyone who is found sleeping rough on our city’s streets.
ADVERTISEMENT
As mentioned, accommodation for will predominantly be at Etrop Grange – a 74-space facility that can accommodate dogs, which a key consideration for some people sleeping rough.
Several agencies will be on-hand at the facility tp provide drop-in services for those staying there, including specialist mental health support from Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust, and support with drugs and alcohol issues from Change Grow Live, while Urban Medical Village will, once again, provide flu and COVID vaccinations for those who need and want them.
Manchester ranks as third-highest in the country for homelessness per capita / Credit: Flickr | Giving Compass
The publishing of the Council’s rough sleeping winter plan comes after recent data has revealed that Manchester sadly ranks as third-highest in the country for homelessness per capita – with around 7,407 people experiencing homelessness.
ADVERTISEMENT
This is believed to be equivalent to one in 74 people.
Cllr Joanna Midgley, who is the Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, admitted that the Counil has taken “learning lessons from previous years” while devising and setting-out its rough sleeping winter plan this year, adding that volunteers will be seeking out people “where they are bedded down rather than asking them to report to day centres or other provision”.
She continued: “It’s important to stress that we are working all year round to help people get off the streets and access support to help them build a future for themselves.
“But we know that during periods of particularly cold weather, some people sleeping rough who might normally be reluctant to accept help are more receptive to it – and this is an important opportunity to reach them.”
Rare bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in more than 30 years
Emily Sergeant
It’s time to say a big hello, as rare bat-eared foxes have now arrived at Chester Zoo.
The two sisters, named Maasai and Malindi, have been welcomed by conservationists after travelling more than 500 miles from a zoo in Paris, and they are the first mammals of their kind to come to Chester Zoo in more than 30 years.
First images show the pair exploring their home in the zoo’s new Heart of Africa habitat – which officially opened to the public back in March, and is the largest zoo development ever undertaken in the UK, spanning more than 22.5 acres in size.
The adorable – but rather unique-looking – bat-eared fox is named after its distinctive oversized ears and is native to the open savannahs and arid grasslands of eastern and southern Africa.
They live for around 13 years on average, and their characteristically large ears help regulate their body temperature and enhance their incredible hearing, allowing them to prey like detect insects moving underground.
The species faces increasing threats in the wild, largely due to the loss of their habitat caused by agriculture, human encroachment, and hunting.
This is why Chester Zoo has long been at the forefront of protecting African wildlife.
Its teams’ have been supporting everything from the safe translocation of northern giraffes to protected national parks in Uganda, to developing cutting-edge AI trail cameras to protect giant pangolins from illegal trafficking in recent years.
Bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in 30 years / Credit: Chester Zoo
“It’s incredibly exciting to welcome bat-eared foxes back to Chester Zoo after a 30-year hiatus,” commented David White, who is the Twilight Team Manager at Chester Zoo.
“Both Maasai and Malindi are settling in well so far, spending much of their time exploring their expansive home and getting to know their new housemates – a family of twelve Cape porcupines. These two species would often come across one another in the wild, so we’ve recreated this right here at Chester.
“In time, we hope to introduce one of the two sisters to a male fox, with the hope that we can contribute to the European conservation breeding programme, helping to ensure there’s a healthy, genetically diverse back-up population in human care.
Manchester Museum has been named European Museum of the Year for 2025
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Museum has been awarded the prestigious title of European Museum of the Year for 2025.
Congratulations are in order, because Manchester Museum – which is part of The University of Manchester (UoM) – has received one of the most prestigious museum awards in the world, the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA), and has made history in doing so too, as it’s the first university museum to ever receive the annual prize.
It beat out 41 other cultural hubs across the continent to claim the coveted prize.
Operated by the European Museum Forum (EMF), EMYA recognises new or redeveloped museums that showcase the best in excellence and innovation in their field.
According to the organisation, the aim of the award is to shine a worthy spotlight on museums that promote inter-cultural dialogue and community participation, demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, and show creative and imaginative approaches to the production of knowledge.
Judges praised how Manchester Museum has ‘reimagined its mission’ since its £15 million redevelopment completed back in February of 2023, which was described as ‘the most ambitious museum transformation in a generation’.
The major bricks and mortar redevelopment introduced new galleries, partnerships, visitor facilities, and sector-leading work around repatriation, restitution, and indigenisation to what was an already-important visitor attraction in our city centre, as well as the top floor being transformed into an environmental and social justice hub for environmental and educational charities to address issues affecting communities within Manchester.
The museum was also praised by judges for acknowledging and addressing its complex history by redefining the role of its collections and public programmes, with its approach to co-curation cited as part of this, especially working with local and diasporic communities to bring new perspectives to collections and challenging traditional narratives.
Manchester Museum has been named the European Museum of the Year for 2025 / Credit: Manchester Museum
Judges also made sure to comment on the museum’s ‘thoughtful, informed, and impactful community engagement’ which helps to create a truly inclusive space where all individuals can see themselves reflected and represented.
Speaking on the prestigious award win, Esme Ward, who is the Director of Manchester Museum, said: “Museums have the power to be empathy machines, bringing generations and communities together to build understanding, while confronting the past with honesty and transparency.
Emily Sergeant -
3rd November 2023 
