Not a week has gone by since the Tory Government was re-elected and in Salford people who work with the homeless and ex-offenders are only expecting the situation to get worse.
"The poor are going to get poorer" Angela Barratt of Street Support Salford explained "But while there's people like us still around we will carry on to make the best of the situation..."
Indeed, this afternoon groups and organisations including Salford Unemployed and Community Resource Centre, Salford Prison Project, Mary Monson Solicitors, Salford City UNISON, Healthwatch Salford, Salford Primary Care Together, A Bed Every Night, ForHousing and Street Support Salford came together to put on a free Christmas lunch for forty homeless people and ex-offenders.
"We're sharing the Christmas spirit and making everyone a free home-cooked meal" said Angela "There's soup and a roll for starters, followed by a full Christmas dinner and a Bailey's Cake, mince pies with cream and a box of chocolates each."
With Christmas crackers and the help of loads of ace volunteers the Christmas spirit was certainly alive and well in Eccles...if not in Parliament...
Main photo shows volunteers getting ready to imbue the Christmas spirit