Meet Stephen

Hi I’m Stephen!

I moved to Manchester with my parents, from Northern Ireland, when I was 3 years old. By the age of 10 years old, I had run away from my foster parents, school and my life. No one could keep track of me and I never knew why until I became an adult. I realised I wanted to support the homeless community, which I was a big part of. Every week, I went out with the Manchester Homeless Group and their evening reach out team and started working with Lifeshare. It was like giving something back to myself. I always wondered how I would have felt seeing the younger me out on the streets. As a young child I saw the city centre as my playground, Manchester and homelessness has always been a big part of me.

All the places where I was living when I was on the streets fascinated me. When I joined Invisible (Manchester) I realised these buildings and places were built into me, just like they were built into the city. Manchester has been through a lot, just like myself. I want to give back to the city that wrapped its arms around me – I don’t know what I’d do without it. I have never met a community like the Mancunians, the people of this city are brave and kind.

My tour will take you around the places of Manchester that are the parts of my life, you will see how the city has grown and – when I tell you my tales – you will see that I have too.