Work has begun on what will be the UK’s largest purpose build village for rough sleepers
Once complete, Embassy Village will transform the site below 22 railway arches into accommodation for 40 homeless men with a village hall, outdoor green spaces, mini allotments and a multi-use sports area.
Back in 2021Greater Manchester-based charity, Embassy, joined forces with a pro-bono team led by developers Peel Waters – part of The Peel Group and Capital&Centric, alongside the city’s business community to bring forward Embassy Village and provide 40 new purpose-built homes with wrap-around support for those who need it most.
Embassy will be responsible for the management and operation of Embassy Village. The Greater Manchester based charity launched in 2019 and specialises in reintegrating people back into society, breaking the cycle of homelessness by providing a home, skills training and wraparound support to give them the life skills to be independent.
The Village will not be a homeless shelter but will instead be a purpose-built community in which residents will have to commit to six hours of training per week in shopping, cooking and budgeting.
The village hall within Embassy Village will be complete with a counselling room, laundry room and communal computers, plus a training kitchen to help residents learn to cook.
James Whittaker, Managing Director of Peel Waters said: “Starting the build of Embassy Village is a very significant moment for us and our partners who have worked on this meaningful project.
“From forming the initial concept of using our land for the most vulnerable in our society during a breakfast with Mayor Andy Burnham, to pulling together the huge team of consultants working on a pro bono basis, we are extremely proud of our involvement and continuous support of this amazing project.
“Today’s launch event is an important milestone, marking years of hard work and collaboration to deliver the UK’s first purpose-built community village and we want to say a huge thanks to all those who have got involved in supporting Embassy Village so far.
“We look forward to completing the build of Embassy Village and seeing the first residents move in, providing much needed housing, training and wrap-around support for some of our most vulnerable members of society; transforming their lives and breaking the cycle of homelessness.”
