Christmas is the hardest time of the year if you are homeless, alone, vulnerable or have mental health issues - with Austerity biting hard and cuts to so many services and budgets, there isn't a huge amount of support out there for those in most desperate need. I'll be one of 30 people sleeping rough from Midnight on Sat 3rd to 8am on Sun 4th December raising funds, as part of We Shall Overcome, to meet 12 aims that will help the local homeless and those struggling in our community.

1) Greystones/Impact.
Christmas Dinner for all the homeless men at our local hostel - turkey and all the trimmings for around 70 men.
2) Infinity Initiatives.
Christmas extras for the families they are helping and sleeping bags and warm coats for their work with the homeless locally in Tameside.
3) Emmelines Parlour Pantry
Gifts for women, babies and teenagers in the Refuge as well as festive treats for their food bank.
4) Street Treats
12 draw-string bags of Christmas gifts along with warm coats and clothes for their homeless outreach.
5) Roofless
A selection of Christmas treats for outreach work in the city.
6) Pennine Pen Animal Shelter & 7) Tameside Animal Shelter
Christmas dinner and a toy for every animal in the Shelter.
8) Anthony Seddon Fund
Help for patients in the Acute Mental Health ward at Tameside Hospital. Budget cuts have bitten and many have no family to support them on Christmas Day. We want to provide 40 gift packs for the patients there.
9) Pennine Mencap
We want to give them a special Christmas social to show them that people out there do care.
10) Christmas Hampers
Ten hampers for elderly, vulnerable or disabled people who have been supported with food parcels by the We Shall Overcome family at The Station pub.
11) Tameside Against The Cuts
Ten food parcels helping those who have been sanctioned by the Job Centre.
12) Manchester Activists Network
Deliver extra food and essentials to the young people in the squat in Manchester to see them through Christmas