November 2023

A Day at Barnabus Homeless Charity

By Mark Lucas, Studios Operations Team

dock10 is proud to support the local charity Barnabus. Based in central Manchester, Barnabus is a Christian Homeless Charity that brings support and hope to the homeless and vulnerable. For a number of years, dock10 has helped Barnabus with everything from clothes collections for the needy to providing Christmas dinners to making promotional videos about their work. I visited Barnabus to find out more about the charity and the people it helps. Spending just five hours with them made me realise how lucky we are to have a roof over our heads, food on the table, and a family around us.

I offered to help in the kitchen. The first person to come through the door walked straight to the counter and asked me for a cup of hot water. I thought it was a strange request but got it for him and then watched as he sat down at the table and put both hands around the cup to warm his hands. That was thought-provoking. After a minute or so a big smile came over his face and he asked me for a cup of coffee and a cheesy bean and tuna toasty. It struck me he was just a normal guy like me or you, just down on his luck.

Having eaten, he talked to the staff who were making phone calls to try and get him into temporary accommodation. He then went upstairs to see the nurse and get a medical check-up. After about an hour he came back to the kitchen and walked over to say goodbye. He looked like a very different person to the one that had come through the door earlier: positivity was running through him and he seemed to have hope for a better future.

It was a transformation that I saw repeated time and time again throughout the morning. The time I spent at Barnabus was an unbelievable experience that really touched my heart; if you get a chance to volunteer, I recommend it.

Support Barnabus: https://www.barnabus.org/
Photos from Mark Lucas: https://photos.app.goo.gl/AW35gE4ay5KEN99P7

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