0:00:03 > 0:00:07Across Britain, in hundreds of towns, cities and neighbourhoods,
0:00:07 > 0:00:09people are struggling with everyday worries
0:00:09 > 0:00:11that have gotten on top of them.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13But there are places to turn,
0:00:13 > 0:00:16even if it seems that no-one else will help.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19This centre is one of them.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Made unique by the woman that runs it.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25A nun for 51 years,
0:00:25 > 0:00:26HORN BEEPS
0:00:26 > 0:00:27Bye-bye!
0:00:27 > 0:00:31She's made it her mission to get this community back on its feet
0:00:31 > 0:00:34and make a real difference to the lives of as many people as she can.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37In her own particular way.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43They don't call me the formidable Sister Rita for nothing.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51As Sister Rita returns with more ambitious plans than ever
0:00:51 > 0:00:54to improve the lives of local residents,
0:00:54 > 0:00:58her plans to grow fresh produce for the food bank hit trouble
0:00:58 > 0:01:01when she can't find enough volunteers to muck in.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Who's going to help us to grow the vegetables?
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Because if you don't grow them, you won't get them.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11And the nun and her team are back doing what they do best -
0:01:11 > 0:01:13delivering help to whoever needs it most.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17It will be better.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19It will get better.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21Good morning, everybody.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23It's lovely to be back!
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Can I just have your attention one minute?
0:01:29 > 0:01:30Quiet!
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Each new day at the Lalley Centre has the same beginning.
0:01:34 > 0:01:39A unique pep talk no-one dares interrupt.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41I want you to listen to me.
0:01:41 > 0:01:42That's how it goes.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46My word, I use a lot of energy on you lot.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Are you listening? Get up out of bed and be there.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52While the seasons come and go, and faces change,
0:01:52 > 0:01:57one constant here is the formidable Sister Rita herself.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59Excuse me.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Not now, Colette.
0:02:02 > 0:02:03Did you do that on purpose?
0:02:03 > 0:02:05You'll be dead if you did.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10The no-nonsense nun has established this drop-in centre as a focal point
0:02:10 > 0:02:13for the Manchester district of Collyhurst,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16offering food, welfare advice,
0:02:16 > 0:02:18or just a supportive ear to residents of one of the most
0:02:18 > 0:02:21deprived parts of the UK.
0:02:21 > 0:02:22Where are we getting the money?
0:02:22 > 0:02:24I was going to rob a bank.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Max wouldn't drive the car.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Along with her staff and volunteers, she's made it her personal mission
0:02:31 > 0:02:34to improve the lives of as many people as she can.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36But the sister is no soft touch.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40You're going to get a name that all you ever do is come here
0:02:40 > 0:02:42and expect us to fork out for you.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Well, fork out for yourself.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48And while she takes no prisoners and always speaks her mind...
0:02:48 > 0:02:51We are either a mover and a shaker
0:02:51 > 0:02:53or a ducker and a diver.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57So you should say to yourself, "Which one am I?"
0:02:57 > 0:02:59..there's no-one the locals would rather turn to
0:02:59 > 0:03:02if they find themselves needing help.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05If your baby needs clothes, if your baby needs anything,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09- you come in here and I will sort out what you need.- OK.
0:03:09 > 0:03:10- SHE LAUGHS - You're naughty!
0:03:14 > 0:03:17But Sister Rita's inimitable style has become familiar
0:03:17 > 0:03:21to far more people than simply those who call in to the Lalley.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Last year for the first time,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26cameras followed the nun and her team as they worked to make things
0:03:26 > 0:03:30better, not just for individuals but the community as a whole.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34- Are you all right, love?- Yeah.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Their efforts led to the creation of a friendship club
0:03:37 > 0:03:42so that anyone living in the area had somewhere to go for a chat.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44Do you know who came in the first day?
0:03:44 > 0:03:45- Who?- Nobody.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48This is Collyhurst.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49Right.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51They take a very long time to do anything.
0:03:51 > 0:03:52THEY CHUCKLE
0:03:54 > 0:03:58And Sister Rita captured the hearts and minds of the locals
0:03:58 > 0:04:01by encouraging them to take responsibility for where they live.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Making sure it was clean and tidy,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05with a hope that pride in their surroundings
0:04:05 > 0:04:08would lead to an improved optimism and community spirit.
0:04:08 > 0:04:13I think Sister Rita's everybody's... Collyhurst's secret weapon.
0:04:13 > 0:04:19Community is about working together for the greater good of Collyhurst,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21and you can't buy that.
0:04:21 > 0:04:22APPLAUSE
0:04:30 > 0:04:32In fact, over the last 12 months,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35the only thing that's stopped Sister Rita in her tracks has been
0:04:35 > 0:04:38the enormous response she's received
0:04:38 > 0:04:41after first appearing on our screens.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Inundated with letters and offers of help,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47she's been overwhelmed by the positive reaction.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50When I was reading them when they came in first,
0:04:50 > 0:04:52I think I spent two days crying, you know.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56I couldn't... I couldn't...
0:04:56 > 0:04:58I couldn't take it in.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03"The programme on television lifted my spirit.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06"This week, I have received £10 extra with my pension."
0:05:06 > 0:05:08She put it in here, God love her.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13"Please buy some biscuits or a bottle of bubbly or chocs.
0:05:13 > 0:05:14"You choose."
0:05:14 > 0:05:17I bought the bubbly and I drank it!
0:05:17 > 0:05:18LAUGHTER
0:05:18 > 0:05:19That's not true!
0:05:21 > 0:05:22For Sister Rita,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25the letters are a reminder that community is about more
0:05:25 > 0:05:27than the people on your doorstep.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31I think that the greatness of humanity
0:05:31 > 0:05:33has come out in those letters.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38And it's about people appreciating people.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40You can't get better than that.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44"This is the reason I admire and applaud you all
0:05:44 > 0:05:47"for the great work that you all do."
0:05:47 > 0:05:49This is lovely for me to be reading this to you,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52because, really, you're the ones that are really doing this.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54It gave us great encouragement, you know?
0:05:54 > 0:05:56It gave us...
0:05:56 > 0:05:59It put a great emphasis on the things that we're doing
0:05:59 > 0:06:03and the things that we intended to do, and gave us energy to go on and do them.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07Can I just finish off by saying, you must know this,
0:06:07 > 0:06:12that every letter that comes in here, some of them forget to say it,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15it's about all of us together.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18And if you think that me and Max could run this place,
0:06:18 > 0:06:22well, then you're very naive, because there's no way we could do it.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25- Oh, we know that! - So, each one of you are...
0:06:25 > 0:06:29vital in this team.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Vital in this team. So, thank you very much.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35I'm really grateful, and so is Max.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Sister Rita has received hundreds of phone calls,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43donations and extra help.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47She's been moved and humbled by the gestures of ordinary people
0:06:47 > 0:06:49supporting the Lalley.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Oh, look at this. Wow!
0:06:52 > 0:06:58A particularly unexpected gift has come from this man, market trader Zed Karefu.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01This is very important.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04This gentleman is called Zed,
0:07:04 > 0:07:09and yesterday he drove all the way down from London
0:07:09 > 0:07:13and he brought with them what Max is going to show you now.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19Beautiful, beautiful trainers for children.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22I see Sister Rita on TV.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24I think she does an amazing job.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27How many people are like that?
0:07:27 > 0:07:31You don't find many people to do something for free for people
0:07:31 > 0:07:34who are not well off.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Do you realise that the kids here would never get trainers like this?
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Of course I do, I know they won't.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41I've always sold things in markets,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44bought some trainers, I had pairs left over.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47What can you do with pairs left over? Nobody wanted to buy them.
0:07:47 > 0:07:53My father always said giving creates love, and I hope it does.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58I really couldn't believe that somebody would drive
0:07:58 > 0:08:03all the way down from London just to give us stuff.
0:08:03 > 0:08:08It was very moving, and it meant a tremendous amount to me...
0:08:08 > 0:08:10- Oh, you're welcome. - ..and to the people.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13You might as well just give it to people who appreciate it more.
0:08:13 > 0:08:18- I do know there are a lot of people who would not give away stuff like that.- Yeah.
0:08:18 > 0:08:19No, they wouldn't do it.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Whatever finds its way to the Lalley,
0:08:23 > 0:08:28Sister Rita's priority is always to get it straight to the people who benefit most.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30And these trainers are no exception.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33The nun's bothered less about where they've come from
0:08:33 > 0:08:35than where they're going.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39So her right-hand man, Max, wastes no time in handing them out
0:08:39 > 0:08:42to families who might struggle to buy anything comparable.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46I've received some trainers today from the Lalley Centre.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48I'm giving them to my grandkids
0:08:48 > 0:08:51and I believe they'll be very happy to get these trainers.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53It means everything.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55It's like if you can't afford something,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58the children won't get anything to put on their feet.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00These shoes are very special. Yeah?
0:09:00 > 0:09:03And they were given to us, and I'm sure he will love them.
0:09:03 > 0:09:04- Thank you very much.- All right.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12Something else Rita and her team often provide to people who need it is furniture.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14And they're about to collect some from a more regular source of
0:09:14 > 0:09:19support to the Lalley - the nearby Manchester City Football Club.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Max and some volunteers head over to their stadium,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24where partnerships manager Mike Geary
0:09:24 > 0:09:27has some sofas the club no longer needs.
0:09:27 > 0:09:28Don't worry, lads,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31they'll just stand here and hold it while you chill in there!
0:09:31 > 0:09:33They may no longer be premier-league,
0:09:33 > 0:09:37but these sofas will prove invaluable to Sister Rita and her team.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39I hope they go to a good home.
0:09:39 > 0:09:40I'm sure that they will do, yes.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42They're better off going to you guys
0:09:42 > 0:09:44and going to a good home than staying in here.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Any goods donated to the Lalley will end up in the homes of people
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Sister Rita and her team have identified
0:09:51 > 0:09:53as being in urgent need of basic furniture.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59And for this set in particular, they've already got someone in mind.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01- Top one, we're on. - Right, come on.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05- Which one are we taking?- This one.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07- What, that one?- Yeah.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14Sister Rita's taking the sofas to a long-term Lalley visitor
0:10:14 > 0:10:15struggling to get back on her feet
0:10:15 > 0:10:18after years of unemployment and ill-health.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20We're going to see Niquan.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25She lives in Blackley and she wanted two settees.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Niquan's old sofas are long past their sell-by date
0:10:28 > 0:10:31and don't even have a back to lean on.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35So the club's donation couldn't have come at a better time.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39Niquan is on benefits and nobody's rich on benefits.
0:10:39 > 0:10:44And she would never be able to afford to buy a sofa like this for her house,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47so we're really happy to go and help her.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51Niquan is a regular face at the Lalley's food bank.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55And Sister Rita is keen to help her in any other way she can.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57- Where is she? How are you? - Hello, Sister Rita.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00- I'm all right, sweetheart. How are you?- I'm good, yeah.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Is it just this settee you want?
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Let the two fellas there.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Oh, I say, let me have a go of it.
0:11:12 > 0:11:13- Oh, it's comfortable.- I know.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17- It's comfortable in the back there and all, isn't it?- Yeah, it is. - Yeah.- Could sleep on this.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22I absolutely love the bee's knees of the Lalley Centre for helping me out.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24I don't know how to describe it.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26I just love them to death. They've really helped me out.
0:11:26 > 0:11:27Saved my bacon.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30But I tell you what, I didn't know you needed what you needed.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32You should have come and said. That's what we do.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34I'm not bone idle me, you know.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36You're not bone idle? Good.
0:11:36 > 0:11:37Oh, gosh!
0:11:38 > 0:11:42And honest to God, I haven't had my afternoon drink yet!
0:11:42 > 0:11:45- Thank you, sweetheart. - Look after yourself.- Same to you.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48Niquan is grateful for the new addition to her home.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Even if it has come from an unexpected source.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56I believe the sofas come from Man City, but I'm a Man U supporter.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59But, you know, beggars can't be choosers!
0:12:01 > 0:12:04While for Niquan the furniture from the Lalley will make a world of
0:12:04 > 0:12:09difference, for Sister Rita it's all in a day's work.
0:12:09 > 0:12:10It's what we do.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15It's what we're there for, and maybe we just take it for granted
0:12:15 > 0:12:16as we go about doing it.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Helping individuals will always be at the heart
0:12:21 > 0:12:23of what the Lalley does,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26but seeing the positive effect her team's work has had on people
0:12:26 > 0:12:30has given Sister Rita a new determination and enthusiasm
0:12:30 > 0:12:32for bringing about more fundamental improvements
0:12:32 > 0:12:35for the community as a whole.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40And top of her to-do list are two particularly ambitious projects.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43She wants to find a way to make use of Collyhurst's empty shops
0:12:43 > 0:12:46and is hatching a plan she hopes will encourage businesses
0:12:46 > 0:12:50to invest and provide genuine work opportunities
0:12:50 > 0:12:51for the people who live here.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56The main aim of the Lalley Centre is to improve people's lives
0:12:56 > 0:12:58in whatever way we can.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Collyhurst, it is a very poor area.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05As a society, you can't drag those people.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06You have to carry them.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Sister Rita's other priority
0:13:10 > 0:13:13is completing a scheme already under way.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17The key part of her operation at the Lalley remains its food bank -
0:13:17 > 0:13:21one of hundreds run by charities and faith groups right across the UK.
0:13:21 > 0:13:22Ever ambitious,
0:13:22 > 0:13:26Sister Rita has a new master plan she wants to roll out.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29At least half a million people in the UK use food banks,
0:13:29 > 0:13:31with demand at an all-time high.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35But Sister Rita's keen to boost the amount of fresh produce available.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39So last year she began cultivating the land next door to the Lalley
0:13:39 > 0:13:41to create an allotment,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45which she hopes will not only provide healthy food all year round,
0:13:45 > 0:13:49but encourage those using the food bank into better eating habits.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52It was amazing, the way it happened.
0:13:53 > 0:13:58And right in front of us there was all this awful, like,
0:13:58 > 0:14:02wasteland with...everything imaginable thrown on it.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06And I said, "Look at that all there, it's a mess."
0:14:07 > 0:14:09"Why couldn't we have an allotment here?"
0:14:11 > 0:14:14As well as growing a regular supply of fruit and vegetables,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17the allotment has another equally important goal -
0:14:17 > 0:14:19to provide skills and work opportunities
0:14:19 > 0:14:21in an area of high unemployment.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25And from the off, Sister Rita involved some young trainees.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30- You'll be able to look and say, "We did that!"- Yeah.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32You know, we did that for the whole area.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36We're doing this for everybody in Collyhurst, not just for us.
0:14:38 > 0:14:39But six months on,
0:14:39 > 0:14:42knowing full well this was a job for the professionals,
0:14:42 > 0:14:46Sister Rita has enlisted the help of national environmental charity
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Groundwork, which transforms wasteland in inner cities
0:14:49 > 0:14:53across the country to create fully functioning allotments.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56And helping to oversee the project is Rebecca Knowles.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59The grand plan in the immediate future
0:14:59 > 0:15:03is that we get these three raised beds cultivated
0:15:03 > 0:15:05and up and running with crops in
0:15:05 > 0:15:07so we can have a fairly early harvest.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11But the real fruit of the project
0:15:11 > 0:15:14will be what it could achieve long-term.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18The overall aim is to get the local community growing
0:15:18 > 0:15:21and to provide fresh crops and fresh salad leaves
0:15:21 > 0:15:24for Sister Rita's food-bank project.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Because a food bank,
0:15:26 > 0:15:30even though it's a really useful thing for a short-term fix,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33it's not a sustainable solution for food poverty.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35But if you can get people growing,
0:15:35 > 0:15:37give them the skills to grow their own stuff,
0:15:37 > 0:15:39they're then more in control.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42It is enormously ambitious, but you've got to start somewhere.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47But it's the start that's proving difficult.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50She's finding it hard to muster enough volunteers.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52Without sufficient boots on the ground,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Sister Rita's worried that her plans for a huge harvest festival
0:15:55 > 0:15:59to celebrate the community coming together will be a wash-out.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05But this is a project she's determined cannot fail.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08So the nun is quick to make her disappointment known
0:16:08 > 0:16:10to the Lalley Centre regulars.
0:16:10 > 0:16:15The only problem I have is even though you're smiling nicely at me,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18I don't see you down there working.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20And I'm not doing it. I'm 99!
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Are you listening?
0:16:22 > 0:16:26Get up off your backside and do something for yourself.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28And get involved in the allotment.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32And you can grow the food, and you can take it home and you can eat it.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36One reason Sister Rita's so passionate about the allotment
0:16:36 > 0:16:40is that, for her, it's the perfect example of faith in action.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43It's from Saint Matthew's gospel.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46"I was hungry and you gave me food."
0:16:46 > 0:16:49And that's exactly what we're trying to do with the allotment.
0:16:49 > 0:16:50One line.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54And the Bible is full of them.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58The nun is hopeful her gentle persuasion
0:16:58 > 0:17:01will have an effect on the number of volunteers.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04They need around ten people to come down
0:17:04 > 0:17:06and tend to the plants every week.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08But regardless of the turnout,
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Rebecca is helping to train the pupils she does have to cultivate
0:17:11 > 0:17:15the land, so that eventually they'll be able to do it without her.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Here comes Sister Rita.
0:17:19 > 0:17:20Hello, my dear.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22- Good morning, how are you? - How are you?
0:17:22 > 0:17:25- It's nice to see you. - It's really cold!- How are you doing?
0:17:27 > 0:17:30And Rebecca has a very welcome surprise for Sister Rita.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33The very first shoots are starting to poke through the soil.
0:17:33 > 0:17:38So although there's a long way to go, this is fantastic progress.
0:17:38 > 0:17:39Wow!
0:17:40 > 0:17:42That is wonderful.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45That's the only one that is showing any sign of growing,
0:17:45 > 0:17:46but we're quite excited about that.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49That means there's more coming through.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53It is a little bit of "build it and they will come", I think.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57Once people see, and once people are benefiting from the produce,
0:17:57 > 0:17:59I think people will come.
0:17:59 > 0:18:04Of course, Sister Rita's always been one to practise what she preaches.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06So getting stuck in by planting a pear tree
0:18:06 > 0:18:08is more than just symbolic.
0:18:08 > 0:18:13You get it where it's very heavy, and I'll get it where it's light!
0:18:13 > 0:18:17- There we are.- Get it angled. - Is it straight?
0:18:17 > 0:18:19That looks pretty good, right?
0:18:19 > 0:18:20So, I'm going to get back in there.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Any of that can just go round, then we can finish it off for you.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26APPLAUSE
0:18:29 > 0:18:31If you don't shut up, I'll hit you!
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Whilst Sister Rita is thrilled with the work that's being done,
0:18:37 > 0:18:42she knows that she needs to get someone to take charge of the project on a more long-term basis.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46There's a tremendous amount of work to be done here
0:18:46 > 0:18:48and I would not be the one to do it.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52But I would be the one to get somebody to do it.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55So that's what I'm hoping is going to happen very soon.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58As soon as possible, really.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00You must keep at it.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03It's perseverance, is a long word.
0:19:03 > 0:19:08You are wonderful and... So, one, two, three, four, five.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10I'm going to give you some money to go and get sandwiches.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Is that OK?
0:19:12 > 0:19:14You come with me to the Lalley, please.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16And then you can have...
0:19:16 > 0:19:19And I've got in the back of my car...Coke or something,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22I don't know what it is, but we'll give you that as well.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29Someone who's recently come to rely on the Lalley's food bank
0:19:29 > 0:19:31is single mum Claire.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33She's long-term unemployed,
0:19:33 > 0:19:38and desperate to find a job to set an example to her 11-year-old son, George.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41It's not normal to be on benefits.
0:19:41 > 0:19:46That's supposed to be short-term, not long-term, you know.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48If you have to do it
0:19:48 > 0:19:52then it's supposed to be an emergency thing and, you know,
0:19:52 > 0:19:57he's not going to learn if the only role model in his life
0:19:57 > 0:20:00is at home all the time.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Most of the people who come to the Lalley Centre
0:20:04 > 0:20:06are long-term unemployed.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Erm... And I...
0:20:10 > 0:20:13I can't even imagine how that would be.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17You know, they're weighed down by the fact that, you know,
0:20:17 > 0:20:19their own family depend on them.
0:20:20 > 0:20:26The very thought that, "Nobody wants me, no matter how often I apply,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28"no matter how often I go for interviews."
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Sister Rita has sent social worker Lorraine,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34from Catholic charity Caritas,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37to take some food round to Claire's home, after she's got herself
0:20:37 > 0:20:39into even greater difficulties.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44Two years of job searching and being knocked back is so disheartening.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47And she said herself, it makes her feel worthless.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51Lorraine's concerned Claire's confidence will be worn down further
0:20:51 > 0:20:53after turning to the food bank
0:20:53 > 0:20:56because she can't afford to buy what she needs.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58It's all the silly little things.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01- Potatoes, bread. - Staples, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Especially him, mashed potato.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06If I can't feed him nothing, he'll eat mashed potato.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08- A bag of 'taters costs next to nothing, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:21:08 > 0:21:09But when they're not there...
0:21:11 > 0:21:13Claire's problems have come to a head
0:21:13 > 0:21:18after a row at the Jobcentre over the time she needed to sign on.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22The slot she'd been given clashed with school pick-up for son George.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Her frustrations boiled over,
0:21:24 > 0:21:28and in the heat of the moment she stopped claiming her benefits.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30But all that's done is make things worse,
0:21:30 > 0:21:33because she'd cut off the only cash she had.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35I lost my temper.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Just told her, "I ain't doing it. Keep your giro."
0:21:38 > 0:21:41And I walked off and never went back.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Which is why I say it's my fault that I'm in this situation.
0:21:45 > 0:21:46I need a part-time job.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49It's not for want of trying, though, is it, Claire? You've been trying.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52I applied for everything. Anything and everything.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54To fit in with school hours?
0:21:55 > 0:21:58And I need to be a role model and show him, and have a job,
0:21:58 > 0:22:00even just a little one
0:22:00 > 0:22:04to show him that you have to earn, because he thinks it's on trees.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10The roof over your head is your priority.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13When all this come, that's why I phoned you.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Cos I didn't want to end up losing my home
0:22:15 > 0:22:17and ending up homeless.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22At Collyhurst, the Government has rolled out Universal Credit,
0:22:22 > 0:22:24a scheme that allows people like Claire to get paid
0:22:24 > 0:22:27all their benefits in one payment once a month,
0:22:27 > 0:22:33instead of claiming each benefit that they're entitled to separately.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37The application process should take between five to six weeks.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41By now, the money should be in her bank account but, as yet,
0:22:41 > 0:22:43it hasn't arrived.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44It hasn't gone in.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47- It's not gone in?- No.- Right, OK.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51- Right, so I'll phone.- Do you want to give them a ring?- I'll give them a ring and see.
0:22:51 > 0:22:57Every time I ring 'em, I can be on hold for ten minutes, 15.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59It costs me money, every single time.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04They could give me a job as an operator!
0:23:05 > 0:23:08But when she does get through, there's good news.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10I phoned up this morning,
0:23:10 > 0:23:13I just wondered when it was going in because it's not gone...
0:23:14 > 0:23:16All right, OK. Thank you.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Thank you, bye.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22She's saying it'll be in before close of today,
0:23:22 > 0:23:24but it's definitely going in.
0:23:24 > 0:23:25- Oh, good.- Ker-ching!
0:23:26 > 0:23:29As with anyone who wants to claim Universal Credit,
0:23:29 > 0:23:33Claire may need to provide proof of the jobs she's applied for.
0:23:33 > 0:23:38And, of course, make sure she attends any scheduled Jobcentre appointments.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40But it's a huge relief that by the end of the day
0:23:40 > 0:23:43she'll once again have some money in the bank.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45And she can focus on searching for the job
0:23:45 > 0:23:47she hopes will get her back on her feet.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52We don't have any family or anything. You got back to me.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56You've helped me out, and the Lalley,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59with me food, and me gas, and me electric.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01All right. I shall see you soon.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Oh, the sun's come out! It was raining before.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07- See?- Thank you. - All right, then, Claire.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Claire is one of around 140 visitors
0:24:11 > 0:24:14who pass through the doors of the Lalley every week.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17All those who come to the drop-in centre for help,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19advice, or just something to eat
0:24:19 > 0:24:21have their needs assessed by one of the team.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24And it was during one of those chats that Sister Rita's
0:24:24 > 0:24:29trustee deputy, Max, first came across young mum Navenka Baron.
0:24:29 > 0:24:34The first person who sees anyone in distress would be Max.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38Because he's always walking around in the reception area
0:24:38 > 0:24:42and making sure everything's OK whilst I'm locked in an office.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45And he was very stressed when he told me about her.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Navenka works part-time as a cleaner.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50But with three young children,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53one of which suffers from a serious stomach problem,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56Max and Sister Rita are concerned that she's struggling to get by.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02So they're doing a home assessment and taking with them some toys,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05as Max's questions reveal the children have nothing to play with.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11We don't normally take toys outside of Christmas and birthdays,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14but this is a different set-up.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19Because this mother is obviously struggling very much
0:25:19 > 0:25:21with the three children,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24and there's nothing to stimulate the children.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27So we're hoping this will do it.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31The first challenge for Sister Rita and Max is to find Navenka's home.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35- SATNAV: Turn right... - All right, love.- ..then turn right.
0:25:35 > 0:25:36Turn right.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Turn right!
0:25:38 > 0:25:39- Is it here?- Yes, yeah.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Around one in four children in Britain today
0:25:43 > 0:25:44live below the poverty line.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48With over 150,000 in the Greater Manchester region.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52And it's single-parent families like Navenka's among the worst-affected.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57- Hello!- Hiya.- How are you, love?
0:25:58 > 0:25:59Hiya.
0:25:59 > 0:26:04Originally from Romania, Navenka has now settled in Manchester.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07She doesn't claim any benefits, and rents two rooms in this house
0:26:07 > 0:26:10whilst sharing the kitchen with four other people.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13But as soon as Sister Rita and Max arrive,
0:26:13 > 0:26:17they're shocked to see the family is living without even basic furniture.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20How many families here?
0:26:20 > 0:26:25THEY CONVERSE IN THEIR OWN LANGUAGE
0:26:25 > 0:26:28- Two couples more.- Two couples more?
0:26:28 > 0:26:31- No children?- No children.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35Right, so she needs a dining-room table here and chairs.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37'Sometimes these visits are difficult
0:26:37 > 0:26:41'and you have to try to keep focused, which is not always easy.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43'There was nothing in the room.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46'There was no curtains on the window, there wasn't a chair.'
0:26:46 > 0:26:48She'd sit on the floor.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50But there was bunk beds,
0:26:50 > 0:26:56two beds, and she slept on the lower and the two little boys slept above.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01It's become clear that as well as her children, Navenka also needs some help.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04So, while Sister Rita and Max hatch a plan,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07they can still bring a smile to the boys' faces.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Look at this for you! What is it?
0:27:10 > 0:27:11Look!
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Ah! Thank you!
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Oh, is that lovely?
0:27:16 > 0:27:17Aw.
0:27:20 > 0:27:21You like it?
0:27:21 > 0:27:23He likes it!
0:27:23 > 0:27:28'To see the faces of those children as they opened the bags, it was like
0:27:28 > 0:27:34'awe and wonder and Christmas and birthdays all mixed in in one.'
0:27:34 > 0:27:37So, that's the reward.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39That's it.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43It will be better.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45It will get better!
0:27:46 > 0:27:51In her 51 years as a nun, Sister Rita has seen plenty of poverty.
0:27:51 > 0:27:56But she's always taken aback by those that seem so gracious when they have so little.
0:27:56 > 0:27:57My God, Max.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59I didn't think it was that bad.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13I just think it's awful. Do you?
0:28:13 > 0:28:16Those kids, and she's struggling so hard, you know.
0:28:18 > 0:28:23What struck me, and I've had this on missions, actually,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25was...
0:28:25 > 0:28:28the joy of the woman. You know?
0:28:28 > 0:28:31There was no self-pity, there was no,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34"Woe is me, I haven't got a chair to sit on."
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Sister Rita sets about trying to sort some basic furnishings out
0:28:38 > 0:28:40for Navenka's home.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43And thanks to a timely donation,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Max is soon able to deliver a dining-room table and chairs.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51It is more better, it here.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54Yeah. It's much better here because they were with no table,
0:28:54 > 0:28:57they were eating in their hands.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59It was not comfy.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01Now they are going to eat properly.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05I firmly believe we're given a mission in life.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07Every one of us. We don't all take it up.
0:29:09 > 0:29:14But at the end of the day, when I'm alone in my room at night,
0:29:14 > 0:29:17I know what I've done through the day.
0:29:17 > 0:29:18And what I haven't do.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21And where I've failed miserably.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23Nobody else sees that.
0:29:23 > 0:29:24Cos it's inside me.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28So, I am missioned to do this,
0:29:28 > 0:29:31like all of our sisters are missioned to do this.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37Whether it's furniture, food, or just a timely boost in confidence,
0:29:37 > 0:29:41the help Sister Rita and her team provide comes in many forms.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44And the support they've given unemployed mum Claire
0:29:44 > 0:29:46has been just what she needed.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Things for her are now starting to look up.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51Through her Jobcentre,
0:29:51 > 0:29:53she's been offered a four-week unpaid placement
0:29:53 > 0:29:58at a local charity as the first step of getting her back into full-time paid work.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01All Claire needs to do now is look the part.
0:30:03 > 0:30:04I need...
0:30:05 > 0:30:08..two pairs of trousers, two tops and a pair of shoes.
0:30:10 > 0:30:11So...
0:30:12 > 0:30:14I need long sleeves.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17Cool and comfortable.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21But after two years of being unemployed,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24Claire lacks the means to buy the work clothes she'll need.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26So Sister Rita's pointed her in the direction
0:30:26 > 0:30:30of a Jobcentre scheme that provides vouchers to buy clothes
0:30:30 > 0:30:32deemed essential for a new job.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34And while that's an enormous help,
0:30:34 > 0:30:36the prospect of the placement is daunting.
0:30:36 > 0:30:41And it's an unfamiliar feeling to be shopping for so many new clothes.
0:30:41 > 0:30:47I'd go to Middleton and go round the charity shops and the market.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50Do you think that's too...
0:30:50 > 0:30:51in-your-face?
0:30:51 > 0:30:53For work?
0:30:53 > 0:30:54No?
0:30:55 > 0:30:59Claire's been given a £50 voucher to buy the one pair of shoes
0:30:59 > 0:31:02and two tops and trousers she'll need.
0:31:02 > 0:31:03How much you looking to spend?
0:31:03 > 0:31:05Oh, you've got...
0:31:05 > 0:31:08Do you know what your waist is?
0:31:08 > 0:31:0912 going on 16!
0:31:11 > 0:31:15I just want to wear a nice cool top but I want to look smart
0:31:15 > 0:31:18so that I feel confident working with the public.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20Because it's working with people.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24Find you a nice top, then. Let's see what we've got in the back.
0:31:24 > 0:31:25Look at the state...
0:31:25 > 0:31:27Oh, me shoe, look! It smiles!
0:31:27 > 0:31:28Sorry.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32You get wet feet when it rains, it's awful.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35It's nice when it's cool, though.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37That. That's comfy.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42That's only £6, that. That is comfy.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47- That'll do me.- Them pair?
0:31:47 > 0:31:51Does it matter that they're shiny, for work? No.
0:31:51 > 0:31:52Yeah, I'll take them, please.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54With the shoes sorted,
0:31:54 > 0:31:56Claire can decide on the rest of what she needs.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02I feel comfortable in this.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06I feel confident, yeah. I feel I fit in the workplace.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09I think I feel I could walk in and...
0:32:09 > 0:32:14greet people and feel smart, because I've got nice clothes on.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20Sister Rita's delighted at the immediate benefit
0:32:20 > 0:32:22all this has had on Claire's confidence.
0:32:24 > 0:32:29You would have sworn she'd won the biggest lottery in England.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33But those simple little things, you know, that people offered her,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36it really was offering her the hand of friendship.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38"Here, take that.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40"Get up and get on with your life."
0:32:44 > 0:32:48As well as helping people like Claire back into full-time work,
0:32:48 > 0:32:51Sister Rita remains optimistic that some of her other plans
0:32:51 > 0:32:53could create opportunities too.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56But not everything's looking rosy at the allotment,
0:32:56 > 0:32:58where there's a lot to do if the nun's dreams
0:32:58 > 0:33:01of a bumper summer harvest are to bear fruit.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03With the success of the project at stake,
0:33:03 > 0:33:07Sister Rita is desperate for the community to get behind it.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10As yet, though, very few volunteers are helping out.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12And Rebecca, from the charity Groundwork,
0:33:12 > 0:33:15has been left to shoulder much of the burden.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18Oh, that's better, isn't it?
0:33:18 > 0:33:19Everything's still alive.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Very good, well done.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23To keep things on track,
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Sister Rita is keen to create a part-time paid job
0:33:26 > 0:33:28for someone to oversee the site.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32- We are going to have a manager, we have to.- Right.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34A part-time manager that we pay.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36Have you got anybody in mind?
0:33:36 > 0:33:40- Not yet, because we have to make sure we have the funding.- Right, OK.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42But, why, do you know someone?
0:33:42 > 0:33:43Is it you?
0:33:45 > 0:33:47We'll talk later.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53A small handful of hardy volunteers has stepped up to the plate.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56Chief among them is long-term Lalley visitor Warren Butcher,
0:33:56 > 0:33:58and the allotment seems to have given him
0:33:58 > 0:34:00a new-found sense of purpose.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05So, let's get this watered, get some of the hand tools and try to get these little bits broken up,
0:34:05 > 0:34:08then we can just get these plants in.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11One of the volunteers is called Warren,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14and Warren, when he came first,
0:34:14 > 0:34:16he was very shy.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18He tended to keep himself to himself.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23He kept on the periphery of the Lalley Centre.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26Until the allotment came up.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31Well, it's been nice and peaceful.
0:34:31 > 0:34:37You can forget everything what's been bothering you
0:34:37 > 0:34:42and what's upsetting you and that.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45And get on with some digging or weeding.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Warren has been unemployed for five years,
0:34:49 > 0:34:53and suffers from a range of health conditions, including leukaemia.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56But his green-fingered talent has convinced Rebecca
0:34:56 > 0:34:57to give him more responsibility.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01Warren?
0:35:01 > 0:35:02Now we've got everything planted,
0:35:02 > 0:35:04we're going to give it some water now
0:35:04 > 0:35:06so each individual plant's going to need watering,
0:35:06 > 0:35:10but we're going to have to make sure that we get...
0:35:10 > 0:35:12that we check them on a daily basis.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15I know it's falling on your toes a bit at the moment,
0:35:15 > 0:35:18but they're going to need watering every day.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22I would say since Warren started to work on the allotment,
0:35:22 > 0:35:25he's sort of become a different man.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27He's more at ease with himself.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30He's easier talking to people.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33That's great for him.
0:35:33 > 0:35:34He works very hard.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37He's a very, very hard worker.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40And we're very grateful to him for all that he does.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45But Rebecca still needs many more regular volunteers like Warren
0:35:45 > 0:35:46to make the allotment a success.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50If there was 50 of us, we'd have it planted.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54We'd have everything prepared and we'd have it all planted.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56There's a limit to how many you can do
0:35:56 > 0:35:58when there's only a handful of you.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02And faced with such limited interest in helping out so far,
0:36:02 > 0:36:05Sister Rita's plans to find a suitable part-time manager
0:36:05 > 0:36:07for the allotment are also proving tougher than expected.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12So she's asked Rebecca to stay on through the summer,
0:36:12 > 0:36:15or at least until the right candidate can be found.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23But if motivating the locals to get involved in her plans
0:36:23 > 0:36:25remains a constant challenge,
0:36:25 > 0:36:27Sister Rita can at least rely on
0:36:27 > 0:36:29support from some influential friends,
0:36:29 > 0:36:31equally committed to ensuring her mission
0:36:31 > 0:36:35to transform the community is a success.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38Ah, come here to me!
0:36:40 > 0:36:44You didn't tell me you were coming, I'd have baked a cake!
0:36:44 > 0:36:48Sir Peter Fahy is the former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50Retired from the police force, Sir Peter now heads up
0:36:50 > 0:36:53his own charity that works with homeless children
0:36:53 > 0:36:55in some of the world's poorest regions.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58Sir Peter Fahy is a great friend to the Lalley Centre.
0:36:58 > 0:36:59Always has been.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02But I've talked to him on numerous occasions
0:37:02 > 0:37:08about trying to be in touch with people who, basically, have money.
0:37:08 > 0:37:09Erm, Sir Peter...
0:37:09 > 0:37:11I'm going to bring some stuff from his car.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14I've got some stuff in the car.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17Sir Peter has not dropped by just to say hello.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19He's got some donations for the Lalley to put to good use.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24Just collections of clothes and shoes.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27Sister Rita came to our church in Northwich
0:37:27 > 0:37:29and various people have given me different things.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32So it's been great to be able to bring them here today.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37I think often what people find very difficult
0:37:37 > 0:37:39is to see the need in their own local community.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42You can watch the pictures of what's going on in Africa,
0:37:42 > 0:37:45you can give money to Oxfam and people like that,
0:37:45 > 0:37:46but often you don't realise that
0:37:46 > 0:37:48in a big, shiny place like Manchester,
0:37:48 > 0:37:52which has got wonderful, wonderful things and big buildings and events,
0:37:52 > 0:37:56very, very close to, there are people incredibly deprived.
0:37:57 > 0:38:01Having contacts like Sir Peter could prove invaluable for the nun,
0:38:01 > 0:38:04who hopes to tap into his connections across the area
0:38:04 > 0:38:07and, of course, his friends with deep pockets.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11So, what we want you to do is meet with us and you have to talk to us,
0:38:11 > 0:38:16- because you're able, about people you know who are rich.- All right.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18- We only want rich people.- Yeah, OK.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21And who could help us a little bit.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24So if you add a lot of people together,
0:38:24 > 0:38:27- it wouldn't cost a fortune, would it?- No.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29Armed with a new set of contacts,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32it's not just because she likes him that Sister Rita is delighted
0:38:32 > 0:38:34the ex-chief constable dropped by.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38- Good to see you.- God bless.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40I'm really grateful you called in.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43Thanks very much, anyway. God bless. Bye-bye now.
0:38:43 > 0:38:44- Thank you.- Bye-bye.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49Despite the ongoing battle for funds and support,
0:38:49 > 0:38:52Sister Rita and her team feel richly rewarded by seeing the people
0:38:52 > 0:38:54they've helped get back on their feet.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58So they're pleased to see the effect that landing
0:38:58 > 0:39:00an unpaid work placement at a local school
0:39:00 > 0:39:02has had on mum Claire Matthews.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06The work placement is going absolutely brilliant, I love it.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08I think it's really good.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12It's the best thing that could have ever happened to me.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14I'm learning so much.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19Doing admin, secretarial work,
0:39:19 > 0:39:22filing, customer service.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24I just hope it leads to paid work.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30With the bit between her teeth, Claire is certain it won't be long
0:39:30 > 0:39:33before she captures the job she covets.
0:39:33 > 0:39:37I'm so happy that Lorraine and the Lalley and Sister Rita
0:39:37 > 0:39:39supported me through me hard times.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42I'm just grateful that they've done it,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45cos now things are looking a lot better for me.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47Even now, when you're doing this,
0:39:47 > 0:39:50you can come here any time if you're struggling with food.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52Normally, I'm all right.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55It's just cos me benefits was messed,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58but it really helped.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01We was at the bottom. I didn't know what we was going to do.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03And it just sorted us.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05You're not always on an up.
0:40:05 > 0:40:06You can't always be...
0:40:06 > 0:40:09No, it's life.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12And surely places like this is where you can come in.
0:40:12 > 0:40:17- And most of our visitors don't want to be like this either.- Yeah.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20You know, they come in because they have to, and they make friends here.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23- Yeah.- They don't just come in for food.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25They make friends and they're very isolated
0:40:25 > 0:40:30and they don't feel like that any more when they've been in here
0:40:30 > 0:40:31a couple of times.
0:40:31 > 0:40:35I wouldn't be anywhere without their support and their help.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37I should've gone to them a bit sooner, I think.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39And we're always here for you.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42- Don't forget.- Yep, OK, thank you.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45There are so many people who try and try and try,
0:40:45 > 0:40:50but the only thing you don't do is give up.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52Can't do that.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54There's nothing beyond giving up.
0:40:54 > 0:40:55There's nothing there.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00And on the allotment,
0:41:00 > 0:41:04it seems Sister Rita's call to arms has finally had the desired effect,
0:41:04 > 0:41:08with a steady stream of volunteers coming forward to muck in.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12The reason I'm here is because I know that I always take.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14So it's good I should give.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17It's very important.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20Not taking, not taking - you have to give.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23We don't want to let Sister Rita down with this.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27Because it's not just about letting Sister Rita down,
0:41:27 > 0:41:30it's about letting the community down.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32You've just got to keep at it.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34A little something is better than nothing.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37Some guys up there not able to do anything.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39Ladies come down.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41Girl power!
0:41:41 > 0:41:42It's good to help.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45She's helping us too, so we need to help her.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52Another new face on the allotment is Cornelius O'Keefe.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54- Morning, Cornelius! I don't think... - Morning, how are we?
0:41:54 > 0:41:58I'm fine, thank you. We've not properly met, my name's Rebecca.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01After recently meeting Sister Rita, Cornelius,
0:42:01 > 0:42:03a retired forklift-truck instructor,
0:42:03 > 0:42:06was inspired to give something back to his community,
0:42:06 > 0:42:09and called in at the Lalley to offer his services.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12What we're trying to do desperately urgently now
0:42:12 > 0:42:13is get all the lettuces in.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16- I'll help out, do my best. - Brilliant, that's fantastic.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18So, it doesn't matter that they're mixed.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20These are mixed salad leaves.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23The trickiest part really is separating them from the soil.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28But of all the people who have given up their time to work on the allotment,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31it's Warren who's been there from the very beginning.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34From what it was when we first come down here,
0:42:34 > 0:42:36to what it is now, it's...
0:42:36 > 0:42:38- Amazing.- Yeah, it's amazing.
0:42:40 > 0:42:46There's a community togetherness there and, you know,
0:42:46 > 0:42:52I like to think that this is the core for humanity.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55Because community gives you security,
0:42:55 > 0:42:58it gives you people who are interested in what you're doing.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01It gives you people who will listen to what's going wrong in your life.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03You get all that in the allotment.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06That's wonderful.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10That is as important as growing the vegetables.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15Whether it's the first sprouts of a summer harvest
0:43:15 > 0:43:17or the early steps towards finding a job,
0:43:17 > 0:43:21Sister Rita knows from small beginnings can come great things.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25But her ambitions to transform Collyhurst
0:43:25 > 0:43:27don't stop with the allotment.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30And she'll need to rely on every volunteer she can muster
0:43:30 > 0:43:32if she's to succeed in the next stage of her plans.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37In her sights is this row of derelict buildings,
0:43:37 > 0:43:40which she hopes to reopen as community shops,
0:43:40 > 0:43:43perhaps selling the produce she's grown.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45But could this be one challenge
0:43:45 > 0:43:48even the formidable Sister Rita can't pull off?
0:43:51 > 0:43:53Next time...
0:43:53 > 0:43:55As Sister Rita's plans take shape, her dreams
0:43:55 > 0:43:58of changing Collyhurst forever look set to come unstuck
0:43:58 > 0:44:00before they've even begun.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02We're trying to make it easier.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04but there are people in Collyhurst who are struggling
0:44:04 > 0:44:05to buy things that they need.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10And drought threatens to destroy her hopes of a summer harvest.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13All the plants and vegetables have died of thirst.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16It's the craziest thing I've ever heard of.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19How could you have an allotment without water?