‘health centre squat has saved our lives’
ROUGH-SLEEPERS FIGHTING NHS TO STAY IN OLD GP SURGERY
THEY’RE the squatters who are taking on the NHS, fighting to stay in the old GP surgery they now call home.
Around 14 rough sleepers are currently bedding down in the building on Church Street, in Eccles, Salford.
They’ve been there since early November and say they moved into the derelict surgery because there is a major homelessness problem in Salford and official shelters often won’t take people with mental health issues.
But NHS bosses say the building was ‘broken into and occupied without our consent’ and is unsafe to live in.
NHS lawyers are now fighting a legal battle to evict the squatters.
Last Thursday a judge at Manchester County Court ordered the squatters were to be removed within five days. But, just 24 hours later, they were given a stay of execution after their solicitors appealed the decision.
It means they’ve still got a roof over their heads – for now – but their longterm future remains uncertain.
Earlier this week the M.E.N. visited the surgery.
Inside 12 men and two women, some of whom have battled drink and drug problems and mental health issues, have created their own little community, as they try to help each other get back on their feet.
Spread over three floors the surgery’s former consultation rooms have been converted into bedrooms and the old waiting room is now a lounge complete with sofas, a TV and even a pool table, all donated by the community.
Mum-of-one, Stacie Martindale moved in with her dog, a huge French mastiff called Kion, in late November.
The 32-year-old had previously been a victim of domestic violence and when a later relationship broke down she found herself homeless.
Stacie, who suffers from anxiety, says the shelter ‘saved my life.’
She told the M.E.N.: “A lot of people walked in here with just a carrier bag, but now they’re starting to build a life for themselves. Living on the streets strips you of your humanity, but now they’ve got a change of clothes, they can lock their door at night, they can get a wash – they feel like it’s a home.
“Here we have built a community and people are rebuilding a life for themselves. But the NHS are not taking that into consideration. “Everybody deserves a chance – and everybody that comes here gets that chance. Everybody here works together, because we all know without this place we would be out in the cold.”
Alec McFadden, from the nearby Salford Unemployed and Community Resource Centre, has been helping the squatters. He says he offered to pay the NHS rent on the building, but didn’t receive a response.
“This wasn’t planned – it just happened because of the need and amazing support from the community,” he said.
“We’d like to see it running as part of (Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham’s) Bed For Every Night campaign.” Greater Manchester Law Centre solicitor Kathleen Cosgrove is representing the group.
She said: “Given the importance and complexity of the decision for the court, we really hope we are given the opportunity for a full hearing, but right now we don’t know what the result will be.
“A spokesperson for NHS Property Services said: “This building was broken into and occupied without our consent. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Services have deemed this property unsafe for residential use in its current form, therefore, we were left with little option other than to instruct our legal team to proceed with seeking possession.”