'It will save lives' - Inside Manchester's first 24-hour homeless shelter
A new 24-hour homeless shelter hopes to offer a new lifeline to Manchester's rough sleepers.
Housing organisation Riverside is opening the centre, which will provide round-the-clock support for those sleeping there.
53-year old Ross Jenkins has first-hand experience of why it's needed.
Ross, who spent decades battling alcoholism, on and off the streets, believes that many face similar problems to him - and believes that the introduction of Universal Credit could put people at a disadvantage.
Earlier this week the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, promised an extra £1bn over five years to provide extra protection for people on tax credits.
Ross now works at the new centre and he says that round the clock support is a significant step forward.
Kevin, 46, and Lisa, 50 (not their real names) know how tough life can be on the streets.
Both say they were separately kicked out of hostels after disagreements with the managers. They ended up sleeping in doorways during the coldest months of 2017.
Lisa said:
Eleanor Watts, who is in charge of the new centre, hopes that the round-the-clock support from workers and volunteers will help people to find their feet.
The new centre marks the beginning of the "bed every night" plan drawn up by Andy Burnham.
From today, the first 260 beds will open, set to be followed by more. Local takeaways and restaurants will provide hot food for free in the evening.