Middleton group Cold Hands Warm Hearts awarded charitable status

Cold Hands Warm Hearts logo

A group started by two Middleton men to help Manchester’s homeless has become a registered charity.

Jamie Lilley and Daniel Goodier set up Cold Hands Warm Hearts in the middle of winter, after hearing about the tragic death of a 25-year-old man who died when sleeping rough in Manchester city centre earlier this year.

The next day, they and another friend handed out 23 boxes of pizza within 15-minutes, returning two days later with donations of coats, cold drinks, a five-litre flask of a hot drink, plus hot food from Middleton takeaways.

The organisation's objective is to make sure no rough sleepers or homeless in Manchester go hungry or without the essentials. Volunteers go to Manchester regularly to give out food, drinks, clothing and sleeping bags.
 

Read more: Middleton men start new initiative to help homeless with ambition of becoming registered charityPublished: 22 March 2021

Since then, the group has aimed for charitable status, so that it can help even more people by making sure no rough sleepers or homeless in Manchester go hungry or without the essentials – and their hard work has paid off: Cold Hands Warm Hearts was entered onto the register of charities on Friday (12 November) with the registered charity number 1196558.

Speaking earlier this year about the need for a charity number, Jamie said: “I feel like we’ve got a treasure chest full of gold, but no key to open it. The only way we can open that treasure chest is to get that charity number and then we will then be able to use the funding to help bring so much more.”

The men have been supported by a number of local residents and businesses, including Ian’s Donatello’s takeaway in Middleton, which has paid for a storage unit to store all the donations before they are given out as well as providing regular donations of food, and Middleton Eats, the local answer to Just Eat.

Cold Hands Warm Hearts also has a Facebook page where volunteers provide regular updates and anyone wishing to help can get in touch.