Welcome to Manna House

Manna House Tackling Homelessness in South Lakes

2011 ended with news of a grant from the Homeless Transition Fund. This grant supports our current Housing and Benefits Advice service and will fund Manna House to employ a development worker and additional housing advisor /advocacy worker to provide emergency support, personalised solutions, and temporary accommodation for rough sleepers and vulnerably housed people.

Homelessness Week ended on 28th January with what has become our annual ‘rough sleep’ on Castle Hill. This year around 20 people joined staff volunteers our local MP and some town and district councillors.

MP Tim Farron said “Sleeping rough for a night allows me to get a better understanding of what people have to do every day and it is a reminder why we need more affordable home locally.”

Peter Thornton, South Lakeland District Council portfolio holder for Housing and Development further, who also joined the rough sleepers said “Homelessness is an awful blight on our community and the council is doing everything we can to deal with the problem to provide everyone with a roof over their heads.“

In 2011 Manna House had contact with 56 people who were sleeping rough in the South Lakes but the problem could be much bigger with many people considered as the ‘invisible homeless’ – people who live and move from friends floors to friends’ floors, live in bed-sits or are not even known to the council.

Volunteer Pam Howard is running in the London 2012 Marathon for Manna House, Kendal.
Please visit Pam’s Marathon and sponsor her!

The Mannacan Project supports food banks throughout South Lakeland. To find out how your community, charity or church will benefit please email mannacan@live.co.uk