SafetyBuyer Partnership with Coffee4Craig

Homelessness is an ongoing problem in Greater Manchester, and with the approach of winter, we reached out to Coffee4Craig to see what we could do to help.

Hendrix Lancaster, co-founder of the charity, responded enthusiastically and we arranged a donation of disposable gloves to help them with the valuable work they do. Read on to find out more about the charity and their work below.

How Coffee4Craig began

Coffee4Craig was established in 2013 in memory of Craig White, who died from a heroin overdose following several years of mental health problems, resulting in him living on the streets.

The charity was started by Craig’s sister Risha and her husband Hendrix, and was based on the simple idea that if you pass someone rough sleeping, you could buy them a coffee and say, 'this is from Craig'. Out of this notion, the charity was born and has since grown and developed.

What they do

Initially, Coffee4Craig set up an outdoor street kitchen, operating three evenings a week in Piccadilly Gardens, offering hot drinks and advice to rough sleepers about access to hostels and other services.

Soon after, in 2014, Coffee4Craig began running a food bank in Salford and started the Coalition of Relief Network alongside Lifeshare and CAN, to create a forum for grassroots charities and organisations to work together in providing a better service for rough sleepers. The coalition then fed into the Manchester Homelessness Partnership and the first Manchester Homelessness Charter.

In 2018, the charity has grown so much that they now offer a seven-day-a-week indoor drop-in centre in partnership with homelessness charities Vow and Myriad, and are working with Manchester City Council for the third year in a row to provide cold weather relief. This is an outreach service that supports the issues surrounding new psychoactive substances (spice).

Manchester Drop-in

Every evening, Coffee4Craig provides a drop-in in the Northern Quarter of Manchester’s city centre, offering services such as:

• Hot meals
• Showers
• Computer and phone access
• One-to-one advice, signposting and referrals
• Emergency clothing
• Emergency food parcels (by arrangement)
• Medical support
• Specialist Centre Point offering support for young persons (16-25)
• Emergency provisions and CWP (Cold Weather Provision) support

Find out more

To find out more about Coffee4Craig, its services and how you can help, visit the website www.coffee4craig.com.