Pop-up tent city to appear in Bolton for homeless

I've seen a similar thing happen in Manchester this year, they don't last too long before the sites are cleared. Where are they going to end up do you think?


A POP-UP homeless shelter will be opened on Saturday in Bolton town centre.

The ‘Bolton Tent City’ is one of a number that have been created across the UK.

The temporary housing will open at 11pm.

A co-founder of Bolton Tent City, who did not want to be named, said the tents are to make Bolton Council re-home the homeless.

He said: “There will be around 40 tents at first, but the site we have chosen is capable of many more.

“There will be food, clothing and tents.


“It is not an official site and has not been approved by the council.

“There will be two staff members on the site 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week.”

The location of the site has not yet been revealed.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/14982882.Pop_up_tent_city_to_appear_in_Bolton_for_homeless/

Norpig wrote:...the tents are to make Bolton Council re-home the homeless.

That's nice of them!

I have occasional involvement with homeless authorities/charities and the few homeless I've come into contact with seem to all have some sort of personal problems, the older ones generally alcohol issues and the younger ones anti-social issues.

Not a job I would be able to do as most of the ones I've met seemed to have had a can of 'super strength' in their hand at the time!

I've no doubt there are genuine people who've had a run of bad luck and found themselves on the street but I think they are very much in the minority.

I also know that local authorities have a legal responsibility to house people unless they have made themselves 'deliberately' homeless

I wonder how many of those organising this event so the council tax payers of Bolton can pick up the bill for housing these homeless (who by definition do not even have to be Bolton related) have offered to share their own homes with these 'deliberately' homeless people or from other areas outside of Bolton?

Most homeless have some form of mental illness, for the genuine ones you are referring to there is help available and generally they will have the mental capacity to seek out that help.
It is terrible and particularly at this time of year many of the people out on the streets with mental illness and no family will sink into depression and suicide rates go up, so for these alone this is a good thing as it shows there are still people who care and that could be the difference to some.

Funny how it takes the council over six weeks to finally come out with this statement. Seems like there is still a pantomime being held int town hall this year after all.

Cue...."Oh no there isn't", anyone?

King Bill wrote:Funny how it takes the council over six weeks to finally come out with this statement. Seems like there is still a pantomime being held int town hall this year after all.

Cue...."Oh no there isn't", anyone?

He's behind you!

And he's holding two fists full of magic beans which, for the frankly paltry sum of only £300k, could be yours, Jack.

And he's even prepared to swap them for a cow.

Would you buy a used cow off this man?




(Nice of him to apply his own target to his chest though...give him that.)

Looking as though it was all a big con!


Concerns over Bolton 'Tent City' project

CONCERNS have been raised over a homeless protest project that was launched in Bolton over Christmas.

The Bolton Tent City camp set up in Cheadle Square on Christmas Eve.

Organisers had asked local people to give items for the homeless.

A handful of tents were pitched and people called at the site on Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day to donate clothes, camping equipment, sleeping bags and food to help.

The organisers said the project was largely taking place to protest against the way Bolton Council deals with homeless people, as well as to help those less fortunate in the town.

But now concerns have been raised among those who donated items after the Facebook group which was organising the project disappeared.

The main contact phone number being used to contact people is no longer working.

The four tents remain in Cheadle Square but they are empty and there is no sign of the organisers or any homeless people.

One of the organisers, who told The Bolton News his name was Jamie, said on Boxing Day that the camp would be moving because threats had been made against those involved.

But he refused to disclose the new location.

Liberal Democrat campaigner Warren Fox was contacted by Bolton Tent City and visited Cheadle Square on Christmas Day to donate warm clothes to the project.

He said: “I had been in contact with one of the organisers for about a week before and said I would help out. I do work with the homeless In Bolton and so I had some clothes.

“I thought it would be good to donate them to this project.

“I don’t know what has happened.

“The Facebook group has been deleted, they have left and the telephone number I had used to contact them is not receiving calls.

“I have read a lot of things on social media which have also made me concerned.”

Another person who donated items to Bolton Tent City was Linda Charnock, of the Bolton Against the Bedroom Tax campaign group.

She said: “I don’t know what has happened, I don’t know if they just abandoned it because it hadn’t worked or if it is something worse, but I think people would really like to know where their donations went and to whom.

“The Facebook page has disappeared and we have no way of contacting them, so obviously it is a bit concerning.”

On Facebook, ‘Shana Bee Bee’ said she had been blocked by the Bolton Tent City group on Facebook after volunteering to help.

She said: “I went down there on Christmas Day with my kids with lots of tea and cakes, only to find no one was there.

“We waited for two hours. We gave morning notice we’re coming in the evening.

“I contacted them and they told me they had to nip home to charge their phones.

"Then they blocked me on Facebook.”

The Bolton News was able to briefly make contact with Andy Dodd, one of the people purported to be organising the project.

He said he could not comment on the situation,  as he was currently seeking legal advice about comments he said had been made about him on social media channels.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/14989209.Concerns_over__Tent_City__project_in_Bolton/?ref=mrb&lp=2

I was under the impression that some more had been set up in other parts of the country. It does seem surprising that they pulled all means of communication as "Christmas" isn't really over. 
   As an aside single homeless men and women with no medical and/or mental issues aren't a council responsibility. It's a crappy situation but those are the rules.

What happened in the end?