A Salford retailer is providing 100 meals a week to support the rough sleepers in Manchester.

The initiative has been running for six years in partnership with Manchester Homeless Group, one of the city’s oldest consistent volunteer outreach organisations, operating since 2013 with late-night runs that sometimes continue until 4am.

Alongside food, volunteers within the group distribute clothing, sleeping bags and other essential items to people across the city centre.

Food packs are prepared twice weekly by staff at One Stop – Carlton Convenience, before being distributed directly to people sleeping rough in the city centre.

Priyesh Vekaria, shop owner, explained that the support grew from a desire to provide practical help rather than donations alone. He said: “We started with sandwiches and cold meals, but now it’s grown to two days a week, Mondays and Thursdays, with around 100 cold meal packs each week.”

He stressed the business had always been rooted in community values.

“From the moment we set up Carlton Convenience, we wanted it to be a pillar for giving back to our community,” he added.

“We were there for people, not just to take money.”

Before committing long-term, he spent time joining outreach runs himself to understand the need.

“I went out for a few nights myself before we decided what we were going to do, and how we were going to support people, and I decided the best way was to provide resources,” he said.

The support now includes standing food orders arranged separately from normal shop supply chains to ensure continuity.

“When we stopped the stock for the shop, I made sure there was still a standing order with the company, so supplies could go straight out to the people who needed them,” he said.

Having previously worked in policing, he said he was already aware of the realities facing people on the streets.

“Many individuals are failed by the system,” he said.

“Social housing doesn’t work for so many people, and some feel it’s easier to stay on the streets than risk ending up in a worse financial situation. No one should have to make that choice.”

He added that misconceptions around homelessness remain widespread.

“For many people, being on the street means they can get a hot meal most nights of the week, but if they’re in social housing, they might not be able to afford that,” he said.

“It’s a sad state of affairs, and it goes way beyond this.”

Despite the scale of the contribution, he emphasised the focus was never recognition.

“We don’t want to be seen either,” he said. “That’s not why we’re doing it.”

Instead, he hopes the partnership encourages more grassroots involvement from local businesses.

“The more local businesses support local causes and frontline homelessness work, the better,” he said.

For now, he plans to continue quietly supporting the outreach as demand remains high across the city.

“We want to remain in the background and just keep doing what we’re doing.”

Vekaria encouraged people who want to help to focus on practical donations that can be used immediately, such as tinned food, dry goods and essential items, rather than unusable clothing.

He also highlighted the importance of supporting volunteer groups across Manchester, providing direct aid to people on the streets, and volunteering whenever possible.

Manchester Homeless Group have also created a Just Giving page, aiming to raise £3000 in donations.