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Former Manchester United players Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville have reportedly told a group of squatters they can stay inside a building they plan to turn into a hotel.
According to the Guardian, a group of squatters known as the Manchester Angels moved into the Manchester Stock exchange building on Sunday.
The Norfolk Street property was bought for £1.5m by the former footballers, who plan to turn it into a 35-bedroom hotel.
Wesley Hall, who campaigns for homeless people as part of the Manchester Angels group, posted on Facebook: “I’m crying…Just go off the phone to Gary Neville…He’s letting us stay for a few months over the winter period and he’s gonna help us with intervention. I’m shaking here.” He added that Gary Neville was “saving lives” by taking the decision.
Hall and his fellow activists plan to provide a one-stop shop for homeless people, aiming to provide shelter, hot food, health checkups, benefit advice, workshops, signposting to other services and help with securing permanent accommodation.
Named Operate Safe Winter, the group has renamed the property the ‘Sock Exchange’ as they will be distributing clothing to its new occupants.
