21 incredible small Manchester charities that need your help

It’s Small Charity Week this week, so we’ve put together a list of amazing Manchester charities that need your help. 

Small Charity Week celebrates and raises awareness of the essential work of the UK’s small charity sector which makes an invaluable contribution to the lives of millions of individuals, communities and causes across the UK and the rest of the world.

But small charities need your help.

The big-name charities do brilliant work, but there are plenty of smaller ones which have a direct impact at a community level and cannot afford the publicity campaigns of the big hitters.

Here’s a selection of small local charities doing inspirational work who will appreciate your support whether it’s a donation, fundraising, volunteering or just spreading the word.

Amazing small charities in Manchester

42nd Street and The Horsfall

42nd Street engage with young people facing tough times, supporting the emotional well-being and mental health of young people aged 11-25, and providing free and confidential services. They also run social action programmes, deliver specialist training and made the ultimate step in supporting young people by setting up The Horsfall, an exciting creative venue inspired by the 19th-century cultural experiment of the Ancoats Art Museum.

42ndstreet.org.uk

Talbot House

Talbot House supports parents and carers of people who have learning disabilities and helps carers across the city feel supported and valued.  They have a down-to-earth, friendly system whereby carers can pop in for a cup of tea and a chat as well as additional one-to-one support services, day trips and much more.

www.talbot-house.org.uk

The Society For Abandoned Animals

Established as a charity in 1967, The Society for Abandoned Animals cares for and rehouses the many unwanted cats and rabbits dumped around the city every year. The Society relies on donations so your support can have a big impact. Just think of all the cat food you could buy for twenty quid – and your donations will help them care for more animals too.

www.saarescue.co.uk

Manchester People First

Manchester People First is open to learning-disabled adults and run by staff who also have learning difficulties. Based on Cheetham Hill, they advocate the right for everyone to have control over their lives and make independent choices.

www.manpf.org

Coffee4Craig

A charity created out of tragedy but continues to inspire hope every day. Coffee4Craig was founded by the sister and brother-in-law of Craig White who died on the streets of Cardiff in 2013 after a heroin overdose whilst battling schizophrenia.  Their call-out on Facebook for friends to buy a coffee for someone who is homeless and say it was from Craig turned into a meal in Cardiff in his honour and then food and drink for the homeless service in their home city of Manchester. Coffee4Craig now support over 200 people every month, with over 50 volunteers regularly putting on street kitchens here.

www.coffee4craig.com

Lifeshare

Lifeshare works with Manchester’s many homeless people. The first point of contact is with people on the streets, offering practical assistance, support and information, plus they open up a kitchen at Charter Street Ragged School on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 7am-9am.

www.lifeshare.org.uk

Self Help

This charity provides a place for anyone to talk about their mental health from people with serious mental health conditions to those who are stressed or worried. Over 12,900 people in Greater Manchester have found support from Self Help this year. They stay up to support people into the night too with a crisis service available over the phone.

www.selfhelpservices.org.uk

The Proud Trust

The people behind Manchester’s LGBT Centre and the Sidney Street Café, The Proud Trust help young people empower themselves and educate others on acceptance and diversity. This includes setting up supportive youth groups, providing training and events and creating resources, all with lots of love and pride thrown in.

www.theproudtrust.org

Aspire Arts Foundation

A new charity with a big ambition to advance the arts, heritage and the education of the public by presenting and producing plays, shows and plenty more across the UK and beyond. This has involved music, dance and drama opportunities with a wide range of individuals with a focus on adults and children with disabilities, those with mental illness and the elderly.

aspireartsfoundation.co.uk

Castlefield Gallery

A gallery that is also a charity. Since 1984, Castlefield Gallery has been one of the north’s most active and successful organisations for developing emerging artists. It turns aspiring artists into prize-winning professionals, promoting artists at key stages of their careers, including people who have gone on to win the Turner Prize and exhibit at festivals. Their vision is for the north to be a place where artists can live and produce work, putting Manchester on the map as a place of world-class talent.

www.castlefieldgallery.co.uk

Barnabus

A charity which started off with one man walking the streets and giving food to those in need now supports 600 people every week, has been bringing hope to the homeless for the last 25 years. The team at Barnabus have received the unsung heroes Queens Award for Voluntary Service and rely entirely on donations.

www.barnabus-manchester.org.uk

Stitched Up

A group which cares about sustainability, pride and encourages skills through sewing and style. This is a not-for-profit cooperative that run garment making and upcycling workshops in Chorlton so you can come along and get crafting. You can support them just by being there.

stitchedup.coop/about

RECLAIM

Giving working-class young people of Manchester a voice is what RECLAIM is all about. Set up in Moss Side in 2007, this charity identifies and supports talented young people from a community which often receives a lot of negative attention. Over the last ten years, they have supported a number of young people to fulfil their potential.

www.reclaim.org.uk

Mustard Tree

Around 600,000 people in Greater Manchester live in poverty, of whom an estimated 137,000 of those are in work and 91,000 children. Mustard Tree has been working to tackle both the causes and consequences of poverty since 1994 – and regularly hosts events and activities across three hubs. The first in Ancoats is the biggest, operating the Freedom Project with training courses, a job club, counselling plus a soup kitchen.

www.mustardtree.org.uk

Greater Manchester Youth Network

This Ardwick Green charity works to empower young people in and around Manchester, encouraging the people it engages with to get active in the community and make a difference. They are especially known for delivering volunteering workshops to schools and have a leadership programme.

www.gmyn.co.uk/cm

Back on Track

Back on Track is a Manchester charity that enables disadvantaged adults to make lasting, positive changes in their lives.  Their learning centre in the Northern Quarter is for people who are going through a process of recovery or rehabilitation following alcohol or drug addiction or homelessness.

www.backontrackmanchester.org.uk

Manchester Histories

This small charity celebrates community heritage and delivers the 10-day Manchester Histories Festival every year. Volunteers and donations are needed so they can continue to unlock the past for future generations to learn from.

www.manchesterhistoriesfestival.org.uk

TLC

A little TLC can mean a great deal and Talk Listen Change help people build better relationships, both with themselves and with others. Their tailored support can fit the needs of the individual and they’ve also been offering free counselling for anyone affected by the Manchester Arena terror attack.

talklistenchange.org.uk

Trauma Aid UK

A national charity made up of a volunteer network of trauma experts from the NHS and private sector, Trauma Aid has been providing free trauma therapy for anyone directly affected by the Manchester and London terror attacks. All are trained in the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing treatment method, so all those they treat can receive the highest quality care.

www.facebook.com/traumaaiduk

The Girls’ Network

Already in Manchester and launching in Salford next week, The Girls’ Network aims to open up a world of possibility to girls from the least advantaged communities and connect them with people and activities to support them.

thegirlsnetwork.org.uk

Small Steps Foundation

Based in Cheadle Hulme but spreading hope all the way to Africa, Small Steps Foundation works to support, educate and help young children with learning difficulties in Uganda. They aim to challenge the stigma many of these children face in their community and create a more inclusive environment.

smallstepsfoundation.co.uk