Development corporation to donate £10,000 a year to aid Manchester’s homelessness crisis

The development firm, Allied London, are also offering a free space to house the homeless in Manchester

Not only will his firm be donating 10 grand a year, but chief executive of Allied London, Mike Ingall, is donating a further five grand of his own money to homeless charities.

They are the firm that built Spinningfields and recently bought the fire station on London Road. Now they have plans to turn the old Granada Studios site into Manchester’s first homeless shelter.

Spinningfields, an area of Manchester developed by Allied London

The new site will offer physical and emotional aid to those in need within the city.

The developer has pledged to use the space for fund-raising events, to raise even more money for the homeless.

In addition, the firm’s own construction contractors and suppliers are going to work with the homeless people staying in the site, giving them work experience which will enable them to find employment more easily.

Mike Ingall, from Allied London, said: “The recent publicity and physical evidence of homelessness in Manchester city centre has made this issue very apparent to us.

“As an agent for physical change and development in the built environment of the city we would have to be very thick skinned to leave this issue unnoticed.

“We can’t, nor will we. I am sure there are various reasons for homelessness, but that is an even bigger reason to get involved and ensure help is given in all areas physical and psychological.”

The old Granada Studios, where Allied London have pledged to build a homeless shelter

The donations will be made to Big Change: a campaign designed to direct donated money to the right places and prevent street begging.

Ingall added: “I hope also our support will be the start of a significant corporate response, and hope to see others follow our pledges.

“In addition, we’d also like to explore how a prototype building can be developed for homeless people that not only adapts to physical needs but also emotional and psychological.”