Leycester House residents knitted 100 hats for Manchester shelter

A group of six residents at Leycester House in Mobberley knitted blankets and scarves for the Barnabus homeless shelter in Manchester.

Their latest initiative for the shelter has seen them knit 100 hats over the past year, which are to be donated to the charity.

Debbie Gregory, the activities co-ordinator at Leycester House, helped to knit the mountain of hats.

“Knitting the hats for the homeless is a way of giving something back, and we have a good old natter while making them,” she said.

“Knitting is also very therapeutic, and is good for manipulating the fingers when you have arthritis – it has a lot of things going for it.”

The residents’ next project for 2019 is to knit a selection of snoods for the charity.

This year Barnabus has reached a landmark 25 years of providing life-changing support to the homeless.

A Christian homeless charity based in Manchester, it started with one man walking the streets, giving out food and drink to the homeless.

It now offers a lifeline to 600 visiting homeless and vulnerable people each week, many of who have severe addictions or mental health issues.

The charity said: “We support their physical, emotional and spiritual needs and do all we can to help them get back into mainstream society.

“We have received the ‘unsung heroes’ Queens Award for Voluntary Service, but do not receive any Government funding, and rely entirely on donations.

“If you would like to get involved there are many ways you can. You can give money, clothing, food or toiletries, you can volunteer or even organise a sponsored event.”