Members of a Christian charity for those suffering from homelessness and substance abuse have been braving the December chills to raise money and awareness in Manchester city centre.
The men, from Betel UK’s rehabilitation centre in Chorlton, said they can be seen singing carols around town from Monday to Saturday every week during the festive period in a bid to attract donations, on which the charity relies for funding.
One of the singers, Nathan, said that the charity had saved his life.
Speaking during a break in performance on Market St, he said: “It’s a miracle that I’m here today. Without Betel I had three options: prison, mental health institution or death.”
Originating in Spain, Betel run centres across the country providing free rehabilitation services for those suffering from addiction and homelessness.
As well as their carol-singing, the charity runs their own businesses in order to raise money to support their centres and provide employment to those who come to them for help.
Now ten months clean, he said that he had gone from living on the banks of the Thames in a tent to being able to see his seven-year-old daughter, which he had previously been denied.
It’s been a challenging period for Nathan, and he said that the hardest part of helping others is convincing them that the journey to rehabilitation is “not easy, but worth it”.
Another of the singers, Christian, also said that it is often a struggle to convince people to accept help, and that people need to want it from within themselves.
Both of them said that Betel is one of the only institutions in the country offering free rehabilitation services, yet the charity receives no government funding.
Manchester’s homelessness problems are well-documented, with around 7,407 people experiencing homelessness in the city according to statistics published by homelessness charity Shelter in January 2023.
Andy Burnham last month called on the Government for more support for local homelessness services, which he claimed were being put under increasing pressure by government policy.
And the issue recently hit national headlines when now former Home Secretary Suella Braverman claimed that rough sleeping was a “lifestyle choice”, with her comments drawing a huge public outcry.
Feature Image: Sam Lake
