YPSF re-opens breakfast drop-in for homeless young people

The Young People’s Support Foundation (YPSF) on Oldham Street in Manchester has reinstated its hot breakfast drop-in.The free cooked breakfast service offered by YPSF, a registered charity supporting young people at risk of homelessness, had closed over the summer. But thanks to newly-formed links with Manchester University providing voluntary opportunities for students, YPSF has been able to reintroduce the service Monday to Friday from 10 am to 12 noon, where hot showers and laundry facilities are also available.

Kate Macdonald is YPSF’s chief executive. “The breakfast drop-in just one small element of our services, but it’s an incredibly important one,” she says. “As well as providing hot food and drinks, our trained support workers are available without an appointment to provide help and support to young people who are worried about homelessness and other related issues.

“The breakfast drop-in is often their first port of call for young people in need.  A lot of the young people we help don’t have access to phones or email, so turning up in person, getting a hot meal, and being able to speak to a qualified support worker provides a vital lifeline and can mean the difference between spending the night on the streets and getting the help they desperately need.”

YPSF’s breakfast drop-in does not currently receive any funding and its operation relies on donations. Despite the uncertainty over funding, Kate is keen to expand on the service and open at weekends, as well as offering the service from YPSF’s Wythenshawe base.

“To make it work we need donations, and we need volunteers to help deliver the service,” she says. “We’re acutely aware of the demands people are facing financially and on their time, but that’s precisely why our services are needed now more than ever.”

To find out how you can help call 0161 228 7654, email info@ypsf.co.uk or visit YPSF’s website at YPSF’s website at www.ypsf.co.uk.

About YPSF

Young People’s Support Foundation is headquartered on Oldham Street in Manchester and has drop-in centres on Oldham Street and at St Andrew’s Hall on Brownley Road in Wythenshawe.

Originally established over 30 years ago as the Manchester Youth Trust, YPSF works in partnership with organisations including Manchester City Council, Manchester Joint Health Unit and the Department for Education to deliver essential services to young people, helping them to find secure accommodation and giving them the skills they need to live independently.

YPSF is a registered charity, Charity Commission Number 1112504.  The Company Registration Number is 05546361 and the registered office is at 52 Oldham Street, Manchester M4 1LE

For further press information contact Juliet Shaw on 07837 360470 or email Juliet@julietshaw.co.uk