Village Angels mark 15 years of keeping Manchester’s Gay Village safe

On one of Manchester’s busiest nightlife strips, the LGBT Foundation’s Village Angels are celebrating 15 years of service by doing what they do every weekend: supporting the safety and wellbeing of people in the city’s Gay Village.

Mostly volunteers, the Angels are easy to spot in bright pink high-visibility vests as they patrol Canal Street and surrounding streets every Friday and Saturday night until 03:00. For many LGBTQ+ people and allies, their presence is now a familiar and reassuring part of a night out, BBC reports.

“The Angels are a massive support, especially on a night out and if you’ve had too much to drink, because they’re just here for you,” said drag artist Miss Toxic. “Even if you’ve had a little bit of an accident, if you’ve had a little bit of a fall, a little bit of a trip, at least they’re here for you.”

Volunteers receive training in first aid and water safety, reflecting the proximity of the Rochdale Canal, and are prepared to respond to a wide range of situations. They help those who are intoxicated or injured, assist people who are lost, and can even act as informal tour guides to the Gay Village.

Their work is welcomed by frontline staff at local venues. “When we get a vulnerable person that needs some assistance, we always pass them over to the Village Angels because it’s easier for them to look after them at night,” said Chris Smith, who oversees security at many Gay Village venues. “It takes the emphasis off the door staff as well.”

Funded by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the project is designed to reduce pressure on police, ambulance and other emergency services, while providing community-led support grounded in LGBTQ+ experience.

“For every pound that’s spent on us, we are saving services like the police and the ambulance service money,” said Gareth Watson, community safety manager at the LGBT Foundation. “We’re able to free up police to deal with the more serious incidents.”

The work can be demanding. Shift lead Joe Nellist described some of the incidents the team has faced.

“I can remember people who have sadly overdosed on substances that we’ve supported along the street here,” Nellist said. “I can remember an 87-year-old woman was out with her granddaughter on a hen do and unfortunately tripped over on the road and broke her hip, so the Angels were there to support her until the ambulance arrived. Even sadder, intervening on people who are experiencing a severe mental health crisis. Sadly those are just a couple of different things that an Angel could experience.”

For volunteer Kay Walker, who has been a Village Angel for 16 months, witnessing that impact is what inspired them to join. “I dropped them an email and here I am,” Walker said. “We see some particularly not nice things. We also have some great moments as well.”

Projects like Village Angels show how LGBTQ+ communities organise to look after one another in very practical ways, on the streets as well as in workplaces and public life. For those who want to support and be part of inclusive spaces beyond the nightlife scene, platforms such as myGwork provide a way to connect with LGBTQ+ professionals and equality-focused employers.

Click here to read more about myGwork.