Local food banks, warm hubs and other support available near you.

Winter Services Guide - Manchester City Centre

An image of the Manchester City Centre leaflet. the cover is orange with white writing.

Winter Manchester City Centre

Please note: This guide is from Winter 2022. New advice will be available shortly.

We know this Winter will be hard with the cost of living crisis, but there is lots of support out there locally if you do need it. To help local people, Manchester Local Care Organisation’s integrated neighbourhood teams across the city have worked with colleagues at Manchester City Council and the voluntary sector to produce a series of neighbourhood service guides .

The guides outline much of the local support that is available across each neighbourhood. These include food banks, warm hubs, befriending services and other local offers.

The booklets complement the citywide support available through Manchester City Council’s free cost of living advice line. This free telephone line offers support with benefits and help with your rent, advice about debt and paying bills , food support and help to get online (support to access the internet, laptops, phones and data). The advice line is open Monday to Friday 9am to 4.30pm on 0800 023 2692. You can speak to someone about the support that is available. You can also text on 07860 022 876 or visit manchester.gov.uk/coladvice

View the information in the categories below or you can download the PDF booklet for Manchester City Centre here [PDF approx 3.3MB]

Food banks and essentials

Manchester Central Foodbank – Provide three days’ emergency food and support to local people who are referred in crisis. Strictly referral only. A foodbank voucher is required from a referring organisation: Citizens Advice, housing officers, children’s centres, health visitors, and social services

Caritas Cornerstone Day Centre – Free breakfast & lunch, hot showers, services and a range of activities for homeless people.

Mustard Tree – Offer a variety of support including health and wellbeing activities, The Food Club, life skills training and furniture / clothes.

The Bread and Butter Thing – Provides food parcels to families – £35 worth of food for £7.50 or less. People need to sign up to the service to access it. Text 07860 063 304 with your full name, postcode, and the name of the hub you will be collecting from.

  • Thursdays 1.30pm to 2pm at the Zion Centre, 339 Stretford Road, M15 4ZY

The Well – Free meals, groceries and wellbeing programme. Open to Hulme residents & any university students or staff.

  • St Peter’s House, Oxford Road, M13 9GH
  • Call 0161 275 2894

Sheung Lok – Free lunch and activities, Mondays 10.30am to 2pm.

  • Sheung Lok Wellbeing Centre, Justin Close, M13 9UB
  • Call 0161 2727 482 or email info@waiyin.org.uk

Booth Centre – Community centre run with people affected by homelessness. A range of activities every day from 10am as well as signposting to accommodation assistance mental health services, drugs and alcohol support and immigration advice.

  • Pimblett St, Cheetham Hill, Manchester M3 1FU
  • Breakfast from 9am to 10am and lunch cafe from 12pm for people attending morning / afternoon sessions
  • No referral necessary, over 18s only (people aged under 25 that need support will be signposted to Centrepoint or the relevant agency).
  • Call 0161 8352 499

Financial advice and other support

Being There – Offer free transport for those diagnosed with a life limiting illness.

REVIVE – Drop in centre for asylum seekers and refugees.

  • 187 Grey Mare Ln, Beswick, Manchester M11 3ND
  • Open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
  • Call 0161 223 5668 or email pat.o@revive-uk.org

Manchester Credit Union – A member owned financial co-operative, providing an easy way to save and affordable loans when you need them. Open to everyone who lives or works in Manchester. All services are available online at www.manchestercreditunion.co.uk or you can also visit MCUs city centre branch:

  • City centre branch at Queen’s Court, 24 Queen Street M2 5HX – open Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm

Family support and activities

42nd Street – Mental Health Service for people aged 13 to 25 years.

  • The SPACE, 87-91 Great Ancoats St, Ancoats
  • Open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5pm
  • Call 0161 228 7321

Little Northerners – a free chill out space for families aimed at pre-school children.

  • Open 7 days a week 9am – 4pm, with free activities often taking place throughout the week
  • On Tuesdays Play Facilitator, Haylea, hosts a free event with learning-based play activities and story sessions. Contact play@thegreatnorthern.com for more info.
  • The free indoor play facility is located at the Great Northern 235 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4EN (9am-4pm)

Befriending services

Manchester Cares one-to-one friendship programme – Matching younger and older people. Older person must be over 65; does not have a diagnosis of dementia; can independently engage in our activities without one-to-one physical or emotional support.

Brunswick Village Activities for over 55s – Brunswick village has a range of activities for over 55 year olds who live locally. They ask for a £1.50 donation for activities if possible.

  • Stretch, Flex Relax and Feel Good – Monday 2:30pm to 3:30pm
  • Unleash your creative talent – Tuesday & Thursday 10am to 12noon
  • Drawing session – Wednesday 10am to 12noon
  • Knit chat and brew – Thursday 1:30pm-3pm.
  • All sessions are based at Brunswick Village, 50 Brunswick St, Ardwick M13 9PE. Call 0161 676 8709 and ask for Yvette.

Chinese Health Information Centre (CHIC) – Health and wellbeing support for anyone from Chinese and South East Asian communities.

  • Drop-in services are available Monday to Friday 9:30 – 4:30pm
  • The community hub is open Monday to Friday 9:30 – 5:00pm
  • CHIC are located at 6-8 Houldsworth Street, Manchester, M1 1EJ
  • For more info, please feel free to email Chic.manchester@gmail.com or ring 0161 228 0138 / 07468539973

Andy’s Man Club –  Free-to-attend peer-to-peer support groups for men in Manchester.

Mandem Meetup – Providing safe spaces for men to come together and end the stigma around mental health.

House of Books & Friends – Independent Bookshop, Events Space & Café, combatting loneliness through the shared love of reading and books.

  • The cafe is open Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm on the Ground Floor of the Manchester Reform Club, 81 King St, Manchester M2 4AH
  • Workshops and events pop up frequently, get in touch here to enquire

Wai Yin Society Chinese Carer Corner – Provides a monthly space for carers to share their feelings and have a break from their caring role. For Chinese carers aged over 55.

  • Call 0161 833 0377 or email info@waiyin.org.uk for more information. Sessions based at Sheung Lok Centre, Justin Close M13 9UB

Other local offers and groups

Carers Manchester Central – Support services for carers living in central Manchester.

  • Call 0161226 6334, email Carers-mcrcentral@accg.org.uk or visit face to face at ACCG,
  • Claremont Resource Centre, 2 Jarvis Road, Hulme, M15 5FS Mon-Fri 9am to 4.30pm

Back on Track – Learning centre in Manchester to assist adults going through a process of recovery or rehabilitation.

LGBT Foundation Manchester – offering advice, support and information services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) communities and individuals

  • Ring 0345 3 30 30 30 or email info@lgbt.foundation 
  • Fairbairn house (2nd floor) 72 Sackville street, Manchester, M1 3NJ

Manchester Art Gallery — Offering a number of informative events and workshops that are often free to attend and open to the public.

  • The ‘What’s On’ guide is available here
  • Feel free to pop into the gallery — Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3JL (open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am – 5pm) or ring 0161 235 8888

Warm hubs

Manchester Central Library – A warm hub offering free Wi-Fi, accessible toilets, computer access, charging facilities, and other refreshments.

  • Open Monday-Thursday (9.00am-8.00pm), Friday and Saturday (9.00am-5.00pm)
  • St Peter’s Square, Manchester M2 5PD

King’s Church Manchester – A welcoming space, where you can sit a while, stay warm, grab a brew and meet others.

  • Open Monday-Friday (1.00pm-3.00pm)
  • Kings House, Sidney St, Manchester M1 7HB

Employment, Skills and Learning Resources

Smart Works, Greater Manchester – Support for unemployed women from across all Greater Manchester boroughs and the wider North West and from a range of different backgrounds and age groups (16yrs +)

  • Free services include: Pre-employment career coaching, help finding a job and interview coaching
  • Open to all women (16+) across Greater Manchester who are currently unemployed or on a zero-hours contract
  • Ask someone who is supporting you with your job-search to refer you: 0161 974 0669 or greatermanchester@smartworks.org.uk
  • Remote appointments are available through a zoom session or phone call
  • The base is currently at 65-81 St Petersgate, Stockport, SK1 1DS but a city centre location will be open in April 2023

Book Nook at the Great Northern – Access to free books, and a quiet place to stop off in the city centre.

  • Visitors can enjoy a quiet read at the Book Nook, or take away a maximum of two books each visit (books can be kept or returned for other to read after use)
  • The community library is open from 10am -7.30pm, every day at The Management Suite, Great Northern Warehouse, 235 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4EN
  • If you’d like to get in touch, contact emma.james@thegreatnorthern.com

Little Northerners – a free chill out space for families aimed at pre-school children.

  • Open 7 days a week 9am – 4pm, with free activities often taking place throughout the week
  • On Tuesdays Play Facilitator, Haylea, hosts a free event with learning-based play activities and story sessions. Contact play@thegreatnorthern.com for more info.
  • The free indoor play facility is located at the Great Northern 235 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4EN (9am-4pm)