humanchester-blog

[humanchester-blog]

"I've finally found an affordable place to live in Didsbury! I move in soon but it's going to be tough to do while my partner is away. He's off bronzing himself in Africa..."

[humanchester-blog]

"I've had a lot of time away from the activist community but I'm getting right back into it now. The speed of communication and the amount of people who are concerned about the homeless cause now is amazing. I just posted a photograph of a wishlist of things the squat is in need of as we started talking and it's already been shared as far as Dublin!"

[humanchester-blog]

"I've been working nights in weird patterns for years now so it's hard to get any structure together in my life outside work. You can't get involved in any kind of club or sport or anything because your day doesn't follow the same pattern as most people. I've been feeling cut off from the world for ages.

Heather [The lady who runs the local youth club] asked me if I'd come in an do some work with the kids a few weeks ago, so I've been going in doing Rap lessons with them. I can't tell you how much I love it! On the first day I kinda just turned up with no idea what I was going to do but now I look forward to it and prepare for it all week.

It's so rewarding seeing these kids learn how to express themselves with an art. Some of them are coming right out of their shell and getting over the fear of speaking out about their lives in front of other people."

[humanchester-blog]

"My dogs are called Genghis and Choker, they're lovely really though!

We zip 2 sleeping bags together at night and all get in together, keeps us all warm"

[humanchester-blog]

“I don’t want to give this government any on my money in taxes but at the same time I don’t want to be a lazy bastard”

[humanchester-blog]

The Stock Exchange

"The thing I miss most is just being able to lie there in a bath doing nothing...

I'm happy here with these guys! The best thing about being here is that I'm never alone, when I am alone all I think about is going back to Spice [legal high].

They [the agency who offered to find accommodation] say they're going to try to find me a place in a hostel. There's no way I'm going in there! No way! They're horrible places to be. They just want to tick a box and say "that's one more sorted" but you're just put back on this conveyor belt again where you get kicked out for the slightest thing and then you're back out here on the streets anyway.

I'd love to have my own bus to live on, you'd all be welcome to stay there with me!"

[humanchester-blog]

"These chairs are really good because they don't move. They're bolted to the floor, you see?

Other chairs aren't safe, they move, they slide around! But these chairs are really good chairs because they're bolted to the floor, you see?"

[humanchester-blog]

"I'm from Malta, I'm here for school; I'm studying sound engineering.

When I'm not studying, I busk!"

@joeroscoemusic 

[humanchester-blog]

The Sock Exchange

"I'm the first success story from here...

I'm in a hotel now but hopefully I'll get a house soon. Got great news last week. Social Services said that I can keep my baby. I'm 23 weeks pregnant, having a boy! Social Services have already taken my other 2 kids. My boy is 9 months and has settled with a new family but my 5 year old daughter won't settle. She has ADHD and she just wants to be with her Mummy! I'm going to court in January and I'm going to put everything I've got into getting her back. I finally feel like my life's getting back on track!"

[humanchester-blog]

Manchester Angels 13/20

"I moved back from Spain to make a life for myself. Straight away I knew it wasn't going to be so easy. I have loads of experience in the building trade but I'm not allowed to do anything without taking this test and having this stupid fu*king card! I can get references from loads of people but that's not enough anymore. I have to find £450 to do this course for my card. They've made it so you can't even labour without paying these clowns some money first!

I want to work but can't so I went to them for help to get on my feet and they tell me I'm entitled to nothing whatsoever for 12 weeks! 3 months where I'm not allowed to work and I get no help with anything! What choice is there for people like me but living on the streets? The squat has given me focus, something to do. I'm so grateful to these guys for what they're doing..."

[humanchester-blog]

https://www.facebook.com/Humanchester-664834703651558/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel "I'm 18, I've been in care most of my life, I have no family. I've been on the streets for 3 weeks now because social services kicked me out of my flat for letting my friend sleep there for 3 nights! It was horrible there too, they make you pay for repairs that needed doing already when you moved in.

They're awful! You're supposed to get a grant on your birthday as a little treat off them so I was really looking forward to it. I went there to pick it up and they were just like "No, there's no extra money for you..." No explanation or any sign they felt bad, just "Bye"."

[humanchester-blog]

"The high you get from Spice [a legal high] is sooooo good! So much stronger than weed! People pay a high price in prison just for a few crumbs.

There is a huge market for it in prison. Everything runs like clockwork in there so everyone knows where they will be at all times. If you can throw a sock with an ounce in over the wall at the right time you can make a lot of money! I know someone who has got himself put back in prison just because of the amount of money he can make from selling Spice; it's worth it to him.

You get a bit of money to help you get on in life when you leave prison. So someone set up a head shop right outside Strangeways selling Spice. People were walking out of prison and straight into the Spice shop! It just continues the cycle of dependence. They've had to move the shop a few streets away now but it's still the first place many people go with that money..."

Do you want to know more?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6pmc7Tpx4w

[humanchester-blog]

"For me, devolution is the most exciting thing happening to Manchester in a long time. We need that power and money to be managed from a more local perspective. We're fed up with taking stick for transport decisions which are made at a more national level, when we could have much more say over our own transport policies; get things tailored to our needs and get things working better for us!

I love this city! I commute here from Wigan every day, I always have. It's a really exciting time for us here, everything has been growing and changing so much since the bomb in '96; I was here that day too!"

[humanchester-blog]

"The lives of these people [homeless people in Manchester] is made more difficult by these internal conflicts, the people who need the help most miss out because of it. There are too many egos trying to be seen to be 'running the show'...

You've got about 6 different 'official' agencies and charities all vying to show that they're the one who is dealing with the problem... Some of them are suggesting there is no homeless problem and there are beds for anyone who need them when that's clearly a lie. The hostels are struggling everywhere! Not to mention that many people would rather be on the streets than in one of these hostels, they can be really intimidating environments...

I've had one older gentleman tell me how everyone had to be out of bed at 6am, as if they were in the army. He dozed back off, as you would at that time of the day at that age and in his condition. Next thing he knows, one of the workers there has grabbed a big metal pan and is banging it with a spoon next to his head shouting "wakey wakey". I mean, who does that? REALLY?"

[humanchester-blog]

Manchester Angels 12/20

"I'm from Iran, I'm Persian.

I came here 8 years ago seeking Asylum as my life is in danger. All that time I've wanted to work, to not depend on anybody but still to this day they refuse to give me a national insurance number so I can be free! If I had lied and said I was gay or a Christian I would have had my freedom years ago but I won't lie, I am an activist, I fought against what the regime stands for. So they say "We don't need activists against the government in this country."

I say I don't want to be an activist in this country I want to live, to work! Ahmadinejad isn't in this country, why would I need to be an activist? But they refuse to let me work, they refuse to let me live, because I refuse to lie!

I am the baby in my family and I have been an exile for 8 years. I have missed my grandmother's funeral, the births of my siblings children, their lives. What is it for? Because my reasons didn't match the reasons the government supports at that particular time. They have left me no choice but to be the activist I didn't want to be here!

I will fight! We will fight! We will help these people against the will of the government and we will do it with no money, we don't need money! We say "we need food for these people" food arrives. We say "We need clothes" clothes arrive. We say "we need TV cameras to show what is happening" TV cameras arrive. We didn't need the government for any of this!"

[humanchester-blog]

Manchester Angels 11/20

"I'm so, so happy!

I've been off the Spice [legal high] for 10 days straight! It was HARD, man...

Ant [Gary Neville's brother-in-law] just said to me that if I can stay clean until next Wednesday he'll take me to the Champion's league game, in the box!

I can't believe it man! I could cry..."

[humanchester-blog]

"I'm from the north-west of Spain just north of Portugal. We have a reputation there similar to what the Irish have here: friendly, lots of alcohol!

When I was born I was very premature. My mother was told that I wouldn't make it, I was nearly dead! Everything turned out fine though, ok, maybe I'm a little bit crazy... Anyway, that's why she named me Angel."