Released On 09 March 2026
Rachel's blog: Hope restored under the arches – a good news story!
Last Monday night was a special one for me; but not for the reasons you might expect.
Standing outside, under some once forgotten railway arches, a stone’s throw from the city centre and in typically Mancunian weather (read: cold, rainy and generally a bit miserable) a quiet miracle was underway.
For those of you with a keen eye on the news recently, or based around Manchester, you may have seen the press leading up to and following Monday’s launch of Embassy Village, Castlefield – hailed as “lifechanging” by some media outlets.
As a project dreamt up, and now realised by, the founders of the charity Embassy, Embassy Village is the result of a 6 year development of formerly derelict arches in Manchester’s Castlefield district, to create 40 fully furnished homes, each containing a kitchen, sleeping area and bathroom and designed to house those faced with homelessness in the city.
So, why was it so special I hear you ask?
Well, for a number of reasons actually!
1. It was what I’m calling a ‘proud wife moment’. After a number of years working in the social care sector, my husband Reace joined Embassy in November and, whilst much of the bricks and mortar development had been completed by that point, he’s been working super hard over the past few months putting together flat pack furniture, interviewing new residents and supporting existing ones with their wider needs – one of the key pillars of Embassy Village. As Christians ourselves, it’s been so encouraging seeing him grow in his faith with Embassy, which is a Christian faith-based charity, ultimately motivated by God’s love for people and social justice. So, to see him doing tours of the Village on the night, rubbing shoulders with investors and developers (normally something within my work remit!) and generally looking so proud to be a part of it all was truly wonderful.
2. As a commercial property lawyer myself, I love the tangibility of property development and the nature, scale and finished product of the Village was super cool to see! The logistics of constructing units under railway arches for one is a massive feat. But the vision for the site - something many would, I think, struggle to see in its derelict state – was the most amazing thing about it. It has already won ‘The Social Impact Award’ at the Insider North West Residential Property Awards 2026 and will, I’m sure, help make the Village an inspiring new city landmark!
3. It was a triumph for joy, hope and excitement in what can otherwise feel like a very dark issue nationally. Homelessness affects cities and towns up and down the country, but as one of the biggest outside London, it does feel like a battle in Manchester. You can’t go far within the city centre without seeing rough sleepers and they, sadly, are just the tip of the iceberg of a much more insidious homelessness crisis. According to a Shelter review from November 2017, 1 in every 154 people in Greater Manchester were homeless; a figure which I have no doubt has risen sharply in the 9 years since. So, it was exciting to see a new village emerge in the city, designed specifically for and with a heart to reach, the homeless in Manchester, and marking what I hope might signal a new way of addressing the issue for other cities and towns – one that has the most vulnerable residents at the centre! The design features of the Village, aimed to support wellbeing, skills development and building community, like mini allotments, a multi-use sports area and furniture making zone, are sure to bring joy to the residents and the staff!
4. It shows the power of community, before residents are even moved in. More than 130 local businesses including big name developers, investors, architects and engineers have been involved since the inception of the Village, all of whom have helped bring the Embassy vision alive; a lot of them working pro bono. The scale of support and collaboration for the Village really goes to show the spirit of Manchester and a deeper desire within individuals to do their bit to help in the battle against homelessness.
I hope Embassy Village is the first of many of its kind around the country, documenting how social innovation and the smart use of otherwise redundant land can create something miraculous and yet distinctly practical at the same time.
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