Macari Centre marks 10 years helping the homeless

1 day ago

Matt LeeBBC Radio Stoke

Former Manchester United footballer and Stoke City manager, Lou Macari set up the foundation in 2016

BBC Lou Macari, a man with grey hair, is wearing a black leather jacket and a black shirt. He is standing in a well-lit room with a group of people in the background. — Former Manchester United footballer and Stoke City manager, Lou Macari set up the foundation in 2016

A homeless charity set up by a former Manchester United footballer and Stoke City manager is marking 10 years in operation.

Lou Macari said he had "no idea" what to expect when he first set up the Macari Foundation in Stoke-on-Trent, which is marking its anniversary with a fundraising ball.

"It all came about because I had a visit to Hanley one night and saw so many homeless people there that I thought, 'This is ridiculous'," he said.

And a decade later, he added homelessness was still a problem in the city: "The sad thing is, nothing's improved. If I'm going to be honest, I think it's got a little bit worse."

Macari said there was a different generation of homeless people now, and each individual had found themselves on the street for a different reason.

"I think there are any number of causes," he said. "We probably didn't have the same problem 10 years ago, drug-wise, as there is now."

Despite the challenges, those who come to the Macari Centre's door say it is somewhere they feel heard and understood.

Navy veteran Mark was sleeping in his van before being helped by the Macari Centre and now has his own place

A man wearing a blue fleece top and a blue t-shirt. He is standing in a corridor with numbered doors behind him. There are leather seats in the corridor as well. The walls of the corridor are painted in white. — Navy veteran Mark was sleeping in his van before being helped by the Macari Centre and now has his own place

Army veteran Rob came to the centre three years ago after becoming homeless and struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mental health issues and has since been given help to find a council house.

"I felt I had somewhere where I could really start again, and these guys went out of their way to get me back on my feet – which they did, and it's been absolutely fantastic," he said.

Rob, a former Army veteran, now has his own council flat after being helped by the foundation

Support worker Carol Durose has worked at the Macari Centre since it opened.

"Every single person comes with their own individual story," she said.

"The general public out there sees people on the street begging and tapping for money, but all those people have all got some kind of story that has put them in that place in the first place."

She added: "I think it's just showing somebody that you really do care."

The charity has moved its operation twice – from a small office to bigger premises on Regent Road in Hanley to a new base on Fletcher Road in Stoke about three years ago.

Rich was sleeping in his car after he had a relationship breakdown and his business failed

A man wearing a camouflage-patterned coat is standing at the bottom of a staircase. Behind him, alongside the stairs, is a table with clear boxes containing what appear to be doughnuts. There are red fire extinguishers attached to a wall in the distance. — Rich was sleeping in his car after he had a relationship breakdown and his business failed

Rich, who was among those who moved into the new centre when it opened, said he faced financial difficulty following a relationship breakdown and the collapse of his business.

After getting the help he needed, he has been able to move out into a flat of his own.

"The staff are extremely approachable, but you've got to want to do something for yourself," he added.

Macari said he never thought he would have been able to provide as much help as the charity had, but that he remained "frustrated" that more had not changed.

"Taking people off the street, that makes a difference, so I'm quite happy with that," he said.

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