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

Winter services guide - Withington and Old Moat

Image of the booklet version of the Withington and Old Moat booklet. The cover is orange with white writing.

Winter Withington and Old Moat

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 guides 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 Withington and Old Moat here [PDF approx 3.5MB].

Food banks and essentials

Withington and Fallowfield Food Bank – Foodbank clients can access three days’ emergency food. Volunteers meet clients over a warm drink or free hot meal and are able to signpost people to agencies able to solve the longer-term problem. Everyone who comes to the foodbank for emergency food needs to have a valid foodbank referral or a code. Just ring us on 07411 077654 during office hours and we will help you with getting a code.

Quids In Food Club – Membership based food pantry club – provides approx. £15 of food (fresh and ambient) for a weekly fee of £3. For Southway housing tenants only (there is currently a waiting list).

  • Call Southway’s customer hub on 0161 448 4200 or email quidsin@southwayhousing.co.uk
  • Runs every Friday from 12.30 to 2pm (except Christmas week) at Old Moat Sure Start Centre.

The Bread and Butter Thing – Mobile food club enabliong people to eat more healthily, enjoy a wider variety of food and afford to feed their families. For £7.50 we offer roughly £35 worth of food each week including fresh fruit and veg, chilled food for the fridge and cupboard staples such as pasta and cereal. For members only but it’s free to join.

  • Mondays 1to 1:30pm, mobile van at St Cuthbert’s Church, 3 Palatine Road, Withington M20 3LH
  • To access you must register as a member (for free) by filling in an online form at www.breadandbutterthing.org/members or text 07860 063 304 with your full name, postcode, and the name of the hub you will be collecting from (St Cuthbert’s).

Financial and other advice

Southway’s Advice Services – Providing a service for Southway tenants with advice and information on welfare rights, debt advice, budgeting, energy and financial inclusion advice. Also digital inclusion (using the internet), employment and training support.

South Manchester Credit Union – A community based credit union that provides saving accounts and loans to the people of South Manchester.

  • Call 0161 448 0200 or look online at www.smcreditunion.co.uk/
  • Visit the union at 187 Fog Ln, Burnage M20 6FJ – open Mon, Tue, Thurs and Fri from 10am to 3pm

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 local branch:

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

Family support and activities

Healthy Child Drop In – A drop in session for advice from the health team, meet other people and an opportunity to have your child weighed.

  • Wednesdays 9:30 to 11am at Old Moat Lane, M20 1DE. Call on 0161 234 4711.

Baby Stay, Play and Learn – A safe place for babies and parents to explore, play and learn. Encouraging the development of early communication.

  • Wednesdays 9:30 to 11am at Old Moat Lane, M20 1DE. Call on 0161 234 4711.

Manchester Carers Forum – Peer support group for carers of adults who are experiencing substance misuse.

  • Every fourth Thursday of the month at Withington Methodist Church, 439 Wilmslow Rd, Withington, M20 4AN.
  • For more information or to join email Stephen@manchestercarersforum.org.uk or call 07494 097 568.

Under 5s story time – Weekly session for little ones and parents to listen to stories and get reading.

  • Wednesday 11am at Withington Library, 410 Wilmslow Road, Withington M20 3BN. Call 0161 227 3720

Digital offers

Digital Skills Sessions – Manchester Adult Education offer free digital skills sessions every week for adults aged 18 plus. Staff can support with benefits checking, online shopping, job searches, accesssing the NHS website and more.

  • 9.30am on Tuesdays at Withington Adult Learning Centre, 24a Burton Road, Withington M20 3ED
  • For more information call 0161 234 5687 or just drop by.

Other local activities and groups

Expert Patients Programme – Free 6 week course for adults who live with long term health conditions and/or carers (including long Covid symptoms). The team can help you manage your own condition.

Be Smoke Free – Quitting smoking is one way to save money. Be Smoke Free offer a FREE twelve-week tobacco addiction programme. During the twelve weeks, you will be assigned to one of our specialist tobacco addiction nurses who will help you achieve your goal to live a healthier, smoke free life. Our nurses will schedule a telephone assessment with you every two weeks to discuss your progress and how you are finding the prescribed NRT (nicotine replacement therapy). The NRT will be sent to your home address following your appointment via Royal Mail recorded delivery. We provide a wide range of NRT products including patches, chewing gum, mouth spray, nasal spray and e-cigarettes.

Breakthrough UK – Manchester based disabled people’s organisation, supporting disabled people to work and live independently. Services include:

  • Health Connecting – supporting disabled people in Manchester to reconnect with their communities and access services in their community through one-to-one support over 12 weeks
  • Women’s Peer Group – This supportive group meets every Monday afternoon at 2pm via Zoom and have a WhatsApp group which they use as a positive space to support each other.
  • For more information email referrals@breakthrough-uk.co.uk or call 0161 234 3950.

Local libraries and warm hubs

Withington Library Warm Hub – The library is a ‘warm space’ that is an attractive welcome safe free space that residents of all ages can come in and stay warm all day in a positive environment with lots of resources. Resources and support include comfortable seating, free self-service hot drinks, free Internet, free Wifi, newspapers, information, staff who can signpost to other support agencies. People who have devices but can’t afford data can get a free 6 month data package from the library.

  • Monday (9am to 8pm), Tuesday (1 to 8.pm), Wednesday (9am to 8pm), Friday and Saturday (9am to 4:30pm)
  • Withington Library, 410 Wilmslow Road, Withington M20 3BN. Call 0161 227 3720

Withington Assist – Withington Assist have a wide range of activities for older adults to keep active, meet other people and get out and about in a warm friendly environment at Withington Methodist Church. Call 0161 434 9216 or email withingtonassist@gmail.com if you want to get involved or know someone who you think would benefit from the activities below:

  • Tuesdays Lunch Club 12 noon to 1.30pm. Freshly cooked, two course meal. £5 donation with volunteer lifts available when possible. Veggie and halal options available. Bingo on some Tuesdays.
  • Wednesdays Coffee Group 1 to 2.30pm at “Barbara’s cafe!” in Withington Methodist Church, Coffee, chat and hanging out & quizzes. All welcome. £1 donation. Once a month shared reading group takes place during this group.
  • Wednesdays Digital Drop In 2 to 3pm. Come sit with our worker Aiden and student volunteers in WMC foyer to work through your phone/tablet/laptop woes. Always call first to check it is on. £1 donation
  • Fridays Exercises 10.30 to 12.30 (10.30 to11.30 chair assisted and11.30 to12.30 seated). Strength, balance and mobility with music and motivation from instructor Ruby. £3.
  • Fridays Snooker Group 1 to 3pm. Older men’s snooker group. All abilities welcome, full-size table with refreshments, come break a few frames with friends. £1.

Withington Library – age friendly coffee morning. Weekly free coffee morning where you can get a hot drink and chat to other local people.

  • Mondays 10 to 11am at Withington Library, 410 Wilmslow Road, Withington M20 3BN. Call 0161 227 3720.

Withington Library – age friendly group. Age friendly group where you can chat to other local older people and take part in various activities.

  • Fridays 2pm to 4pm at Withington Library, 410 Wilmslow Road, Withington M20 3BN. Call 0161 227 3720.