Vigil for ‘real people with a name’ who’ve died on streets
A CANDLELIT vigil is to be held in tribute to all the homeless people who have died in Manchester over the last year – remembering that each was a ‘real person, with a name.’
Housing and homelessness charity Shelter is organising the event on December 13 as a chance for Mancunians to join together and reflect on the many uncounted tragedies, which have not historically been recorded in statistics.
It comes after the M.E.N. revealed in August how at least one person a month is dying on Manchester’s streets, alongside a string of other unrecorded deaths in temporary accommodation, highlighting how difficult it is to find out how many there have been or what happened.
Shortly afterwards the Bureau of Investigative Journalism revealed that its nationwide investigation – using figures collated from across the country, including from the M.E.N. – had uncovered at least 449 deaths over the previous year.
As a result, the Office for National Statistics is now set to begin counting homeless deaths on a trial basis, backed by the government’s new rough sleeping strategy.
Shelter said this was an important step forward, but added that each death is more than just a statistic and that many of those who have died this year are still unlikely to be recorded in the count.
John Ryan, manager at Shelter Manchester, said: “This ceremony is being held in the memory of all the homeless men and women who died in the last year, and we would welcome the public to join us for a few quiet words, and reflection on those we have lost.
“Our services in Greater Manchester are working to help people off the streets and into suitable homes, and every day we see the brutal damage that life on the street can have on a person’s health.
“We’re glad the government recently announced in its rough sleeping strategy that they are to start recording the deaths of homeless people properly. We can’t address this problem if we don’t understand its scale, or the reasons behind it.
“But we also remember that every one of these tragic statistics was a real person, with a name.
“They had friends and families, and never deserved to be invisible to the authorities. That’s why we are marking their passing.”
The vigil will take place on Thursday, December 13, at 6.30pm in Sackville Gardens, where a list of all the homeless people known to have died will be read out.