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M27 8US
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BLUE Watch firefighters from Manchester Central Fire Station helped members of the community facing a difficult festive season by working with four charities.
The crews have been supporting Barnabus, which is a Christian charity based in Manchester city centre, throughout the year.
The charity supports around 350 people a week, many of whom suffer severe addiction or mental health issues.
It supports women involved with street prostitution and works in prisons to help educate and rehabilitate offenders.
Crew Manager Gary English said: "Our involvement has mainly been at the drop-in centre in the city centre.
"The centre provides a safe place of refuge for many of Manchester's most vulnerable homeless people. It offers clean clothing, blankets and shower facilities.
"This is a charity, so, as a watch, we have become involved with helping to supply the centre with blankets, bedding and sleeping bags.
"We have also visited the drop in centre on nights to offer fire safety advice to rough sleepers.
"We did a 10k sponsored run around Heaton Park dressed in full fire kit and a high profile treadmill run in fire kit in the Printworks on a busy Saturday afternoon to help raise funds and awareness for Baranabus and The Fire Fighters Charity."
The same firefighters have also given bedding, sleeping bags, clothing and towels to the Manchester City Mission and Missionary Brothers of Charity.
Manchester City Mission provides emergency shelter on a night-by-night basis around Salford.
The Missionary Brothers of Charity is based at St Malachy's Church, Eggington Street, and supports vulnerable homeless people from the community that the fire station serves.
Finally, thanks to the generosity of local shops and businesses (and gentle persuasion from Blue Watch!) numerous toys and games were left over from the Burns Camp children's Christmas party at Manchester Central Fire Station.
These gifts were taken by Blue Watch to Key 103, to support the station's Cash for Kids Christmas toy appeal, which ensures that the most disadvantaged children across Manchester have a gift to open on Christmas day.
