Combating homelessness with Judy Vickers

A warm Mancunian welcome to all my listeners from your host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe. In the season finale of Season 9 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, I speak with Judy Vickers, Executive Officer of Lifeshare and Spirit of Manchester Award nominee. Judy shares her journey from overcoming personal challenges, including domestic violence, to passionately working in the homelessness sector. She discusses her extensive work with Lifeshare, an organisation providing services to the homeless in Manchester, and the critical issues of food and data poverty. The episode highlights Lifeshare's broad range of services and the ongoing challenges amid economic and social shifts. Judy’s dedication to advocating for the voiceless and fostering community collaboration stands out as a beacon of hope. #Homelessness #FoodPoverty #DataPoverty #community #GM #manchester #SocialImpact #NonProfit #podcast   Did you know:   ·     Homelessness is a complex social phenomenon and represents one of the biggest challenges to modern society. ·     Manchester has some of the highest levels of homelessness in the UK –Manchester ranks third-highest in the country for people experiencing homelessness per capita, with around 7,407 people (one in 74 people) experiencing homelessness. ·     3 Million people in the UK experience data poverty. ·     Data poverty is when individuals or households cannot afford data or digital devices to meet their essential devices. ·     Data poverty can have a negative impact on people's lives, affecting their ability to learn, work, connect with others, and access services like banking, benefits and healthcare. Key resources Lifeshare Lifeshare Limited Edition Christmas tees   Time stamps of key moments in the podcast episode & transcript: (01:30) Introduction to Judy Vickers and Her Passion (01:39) Judy's Personal Journey and Inspiration (03:26) Early Involvement with Lifeshare (04:44) Lifeshare's Mission and Services (07:27) Challenges Faced by Lifeshare (10:15) The Issue of Data Poverty (13:27) Impact and Achievements (17:02) Advice for Starting Community Movements (21:21) Signature Questions (23:28) How to Get Involved with Lifeshare Listen to the episode and read the transcript on www.meetthemancunian.co.uk