Homeless charity in Manchester said it needs £30k a month 'to keep the doors open'

A homeless charity that has been a safe place for those with nowhere else to turn says it needs £30,000 a month "just to keep the doors open". Launched 13 years ago, Coffee4Craig in Manchester has been supporting rough sleepers on the streets. The team serves around 32,000 hot meals, offering a safe space and vital welfare support, but with running costs increasing, the charity says it's being pushed to the brink. Risha Lancaster, co-founder of Coffee4Craig said: "On average it's £28,000 to £30,000 a month just to keep us open." Risha Lancaster, Co-founder of Coffee4Craig Credit: ITV News Ending rough sleeping was a day-one pledge from the Prime Minister Andy Burnham, backed by £340million in funding. He has defended his record on tackling homelessness while mayor of Greater Manchester ahead of a rough sleeping summit in Downing Street. Burnham said figures "came right down" but the system failed when people started travelling to the area to take advantage of the offer of a bed. He suggested a nationwide scheme will be more effective. Coffee4Craig was launched 13 years ago. Credit: ITV News Risha set up Coffee4Craig 13 years ago when her brother died on the streets, but she says just giving them money simply won't help. She said: "By flooding us with all the money you can't put it into all the other things that prevents the homelessness so health and social care, looking after people who are in prevention, housing". At the rough sleeping summit on October 26, Burnham will call on business chiefs and charities to step up efforts to tackle rough sleeping as the budget is set to deliver £432 million to ensure homeless people are off the streets by Christmas. Asked about the Conservatives' criticism of his record, he said: "They are wrong about that because I had a 10-year drive called a bed every night, and if people look at the figures, it came right down. "The issue was we were the only area that was offering a bed every night, so obviously people travelled to Greater Manchester. "It’s clear to me that it only works if everywhere does it". The most up-to-date statistics estimated that there were 4,793 people sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2025 in England. Credit: ITV News The most up-to-date, annual, national statistics estimated that there were 4,793 people sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2025 in England. The funding at the Budget comes on top of £442 million committed earlier this year and will allow the rough sleeping programme to continue until the end of the current Parliament in 2029. Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...