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We’re back!

Having been closed for January, and catching up on all the exciting paper work(!) the night cafe, and eagerly awaited Street Angel project is back this weekend! Do pop in, midnight until very late every Saturday, and look out for our Angels!

But that’s not all… We’ve got huge plans for 2007. A whole new entrance, cafe open during the week, lots of exhibitions and an exciting new menu, just to mention a few. So keep popping back and checking in to see what’s new….

The angels have landed…

The pouring rain and the cold weather didn’t dampen our spirits on Saturday night, as the pioneering Street Angels of Manchester went on duty (Rachel, Tony, Myn, Sam, David, Cris).

It was an eventful night, and it was so encouraging that people were pleased to see us, even door staff were offering us drinks!

We were able to bring people back to the safety of the night cafe, one person was walked home, another walked to the train station, we were pointing people to the direction of night buses etc, ambulances were being directed, we encouraged people to not get into unlicensed or bogus taxis, and then when we thought we had finished and run out of lollipops, we found a man slumped in the gutter. We waited with him until an amblance was on the scene.

It was a really positive and busy night for the Street Angels, meeting many peoples needs. We will be back in the New Year. To volunteer email [email protected] or telephone 0161 236 0100.

Street Angels Press Release

Partygoers in Manchester city centre will be touched by angels this weekend, as police officers team up with volunteers to help drive home safety messages.

A team of Street Angels from The Nexus Project in the Northern Quarter will be accompanying police and descending on The Printworks to offer advice and guidance and to encourage visitors to ‘Think Safe Drink Safe’.

Volunteers, which include members of Manchester city centre churches, will be fully equipped with high visibility jackets bearing the words ‘Street Angel’, as well as Nite Net radios to connect them to the CCTV control room on High Street.

During their first night this Saturday, they will be handing out lollipops to help keep revellers quiet as they leave pubs, bars and clubs and will also be directing people to nearby taxi ranks and bus stops so they can get safe transport home. People wanting to enjoy a coffee to help them sober up, or wait for private hire vehicles will be encouraged to visit the Nexus Night Cafe on Dale Street.

Sergeant Jan Brown from GMP’s City Safe unit said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Street Angels to help keep visitors to the city centre even safer during a night out. The Nexus Project forms part of the City Safe strategy to help raise awareness about responsible drinking, aiming to make people less vulnerable so they don’t fall victim to crime, including sexual assaults. Along with the Angels, local officers are encouraging revellers to pace their drinks, stick with friends, take a taxi they can trust and say no to trouble. By listening to these simple tips, partygoers can enjoy a festive night without fear of becoming a victim”.

Reverend Cris Acher from The Nexus Project said: “The Street Angels have been established to work with the police to keep people safe, especially at the end of the night when they are most vulnerable. The volunteers are from a range of backgrounds and ages, but all have one thing in common – a willingness to give something back to the community. They have received inputs from police officers and NHS staff about health and safety, as well as training about communication. We are always looking for more volunteers and hopefully we can bolster the team over the coming months to make the Street Angels an even more valuable resource for those people enjoying the city’s pubs, bars and clubs”.

The Street Angels scheme is being piloted during one of Manchester’s busiest weekends on the run up to Christmas and will continue in the New Year. Currently, The Nexus Project has 22 volunteers who assist in the night time cafe, with six people currently recruited as Street Angels.

Anybody wanting to join the team should contact Cris Acher on 0161 236 0100 or by logging onto www.nexusonline.org.uk

Nexus hosts ‘This Way Up’ dance piece

Friday at 7pm in Nexus….

Sanctus on TV

Sanctus1 meets at Nexus every Tuesday evening. You can see us, at least for a few mins, this Sunday at 10am on BBC1.

Comedy at Nexus…

Just Fair Laughs presents The Great Big Christmas Stand-up show on Tuesday 12th December 8pm (doors 7.30pm) at Nexus.

Acts include seasoned pros Andy Kind and Damien Larkin, up and coming performer Claire Barlow and your delightful host Tony Vino.

Just Fair Laughs is the UK’s first regular fairtrade comedy night, and aims to promote new and upcoming comedy talent from across the North, together with the promotion of the wonderful delights of fairtrade beverages and snacks.

Due to demand it is strongly advised that you reserve your tickets by emailing [email protected] Tickets can be paid for when collected on the door. Entry is £4 per person (if you can afford it, less if you can’t, more if you want) with all profits donated to Tearfund.