More people than ever are about to experience their first winter on the streets.
Over the last decade, the number of people sleeping rough has more than doubled, rising 26% in the latest figures.
This year, across England, there has been a 10% increase in households contacting their local authority after being threatened with homelessness or losing their home. Of these 358,370 households, 91% were assessed as homeless.
These figures can feel overwhelming, but your support can make a real difference for a homeless person this winter.
Why support Petrus this winter?
Show people that they belong...
Homeless people often feel lonely, isolated, and like they are not accepted by society. Throughout winter, we’ll bring our community together through our Hub, sharing meals, making connections and helping people get off the streets.
Help real people in your area...
We work in Rochdale, Oldham and Bury. Donations to Petrus will be spent helping people within your community.
Donate to our appeal
You can also donate to our Season of Sharing Campaign!
Here are some of the amazing ways your donations can make a difference throughout winter:
£5 could provide a hot breakfast for a vulnerable person at our Hub
£10 could provide a bundle of winter clothing essentials
£25 could pay for a service users Christmas dinner and a gift
£50 could provide all-weather clothing for two people to join nature-based wellbeing activities
Enthuse – Visit our campaign page to make an online donation
Cheque – Please make out cheques to ‘Petrus Community.’ You can post them to our Hub or drop in if your passing! Our address is Petrus Hub, 73 Great George Street, Rochdale, OL16 1QG and our opening hours for donations are Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm.
Bank transfer – Please email petrus@petrus.org.uk to request our bank details to make a bank transfer.
Join us at the Petrus Winter Fair - 1st December
Our friends at the Empire are hosting a Winter Fair to raise money for Petrus. Join us between 2pm – 6pm on Sunday 1st December for music, market stalls and merriment.
Tickets can be purchased on the door or from The Empire in advance. £3 per adult, kids under 16 go free! (Please note, children must be accompanied by an adult).
Make sure Santa comes to everyone!
A gift at Christmas is a magical thing. For a homeless or vulnerable person, your gift shows them that they have not been forgotten, that they are accepted, believed in and valued.
We’ve made donating a gift quick and easy! Simply purchase an item off our Amazon Gift List and it will be delivered directly to our hub and then passed on to someone who we know will love it.
Alternatively, you can pick something up while you’re out shopping and drop it in to the Hub yourself! Our address is Petrus Hub, 73 Great George Street, Rochdale, OL16 1QG and our opening hours for donations are Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm.
We believe everyone deserves a new gift at Christmas, so we are unable to take used or second-hand items for our gift appeal.
Take on the Virtual Santa Dash
Take this 5K challenge on anytime between now and the 25th of December. Do it in your running gear alone or dressed as Christmas elves with the family! By completing the challenge you'll earn an official Santa Dash Medal and goodie bag.
Raise £60 through sponsorship to fund a Christmas Dinner for the residents of one of our housing schemes! Find out more
Organise your own fundraiser
If you want to go the extra mile for homeless and vulnerable people this winter, why not organise a fundraiser with your friends or co-workers.
From bake sales to Christmas Jumper days, there are lots of ways you can raise money as a group and make a difference!
We can support you with information, t-shirts, collection buckets, please email us at petrus@petrus.org.uk to let us know what you’re planning, and we’ll be happy to support.
Corporate Gifting and Fundraising
We’d love to team up with your organisation to raise awareness and funds to support our work. Uniting around a shared purpose is great for boosting morale and building relationships across different teams.
For more information of how your business can support us this winter, please click here.
About The Hub
Open Monday to Saturday, our hub provides hot breakfasts, drinks, showering facilities, toiletries, sanitary products, laundry facilities and access to clean clothes, all completely free of charge for our service users.
The hub is also a place where people can access support such as welfare advice, employability skills, and food parcels.
Healthcare support is provided by Homeless Alliance Response Team nurses, and we also arrange access to dentists, alcohol and drug treatment and wellbeing activities.