For the past two days (Wednesday 25th & Thursday 26th) some of the Routes team have been showcasing their artistic skills in order to help the homeless and vulnerable in Manchester.

The fantastic team have been turning our old Routes Europe 2014 table runners into wash-bags for the homeless.

The wash-bags have been filled with toiletries and gifts, and will go to a local charity called Barnabus, who are a support network for homeless and vulnerable people in Manchester.

Members of the Routes team brought sewing machines to work on Wednesday morning, and have spent the entirety of two days crafting wash-bags from the old table runners. Other members of the team have demonstrated their artistic skills, drawing Christmas themed pictures to liven up the appearance of the wash-bags and spread some Christmas cheer.

The aim was to complete 100 bags across the two day period, but after the first day, the Routes team excelled themselves by completing 99 wash-bags, with a further 31 sewn and nearing completion.

By the end of the second day, the team had produced and completed 147 wash-bags for the charity, with a further 50 bags ready to be threaded with drawstring and decorated

Barnabus is a Christian Homeless Charity based in Manchester. It began over 23 years ago with just one man walking the streets, giving out food and drink to the homeless.

They now offer a lifeline to 600 visiting homeless and vulnerable people each week, many of whom have severe addictions or mental health issues.

They have received the 'unsung heroes' Queens award for Voluntary Service, but do not receive any government funding - they rely entirely on donations.

The Routes team have saved 86 bags to do a very similar wash-bag toiletry donation in Aberdeen after Routes Europe 2015, for ‘Somebody Cares’, the AIA charity partner for 2015. To fill the bags, delegates will be asked to donate toiletries, and the bags will be given to help people in need in Aberdeen.

You can visit online Barnabus and show your support by donating on their website