Episode 3 Sister Rita to the Rescue

Across Britain, in hundreds of towns, cities and neighbourhoods,

people are struggling with everyday worries

that have got on top of them.

But there are places to turn,

even if it seems that no-one else will help.

This centre is one of them,

made unique by the woman that runs it.

A nun for 51 years...

HORN TOOTS

Bye-bye!

..she's made it her mission to get this community back on its feet,

and make a real difference to the

lives of as many people as she can...

in her own particular way.

They don't call me the formidable Sister Rita for nothing.

Today, Sister Rita launches a cookery class,

teaching local residents the skills to cook healthy meals

that are within their budget.

Hopefully, they will learn from this

and make something like that at home,

not just for themselves but for their children.

Sure, that's a good thing to happen.

Hiya, sit down.

And the nun has some tough talking to do

when one man's desperation risks getting out of hand.

Listen.

Don't do it.

Please don't do it.

Too dangerous.

The doors have opened for another day

at the Lalley Centre in Collyhurst.

And for the locals...

Oh, look at all these lovely faces looking up at me!

..another dose of wit and wisdom is about to be delivered,

in Sister Rita's inimitable style.

I particularly support the philosophy

that can be characterised as

a hands-up, not a hand-out.

Did you hear me?

Are you amused? Or are you scared?

-I'm scared.

-Good!

The nun and her team of volunteers

are here to help with life's essentials,

offering practical support to those who need it

in one of the poorest parts of Manchester.

Right, OK, OK.

You're just like the kids in the nursery.

The minute there's a little lull, you're at it again.

I will throw you out, you know.

I'm quite capable, I've learned how to do it.

You know who this centre belongs to, do you?

Who does it belong to?

ALL: Us!

You!

All I do is clean it up and give orders.

APPLAUSE

So far this year, Sister Rita has launched two ambitious new projects.

The community allotment that she hopes will

provide the Lalley's food bank with a regular supply

of fresh fruit and vegetables...

This is what the allotment is all about.

Fresh produce every week to put into the food bank.

..and also her plans to revitalise this neighbouring row of shops

in order to create a community hub right in the heart of Collyhurst.

We're doing it because

Collyhurst is bereft of businesses,

and so we are meeting a need of the people of Collyhurst.

MUSIC ON RADIO: Money, Money, Money by ABBA

All that would be more than enough for most people.

But not Sister Rita.

She's always thinking of new ways she can improve the lives

of local residents.

So on top of her bigger ideas, there's the everyday business

of giving help to those who need it most.

# All the things I could do

# If I had a little money

# It's a rich man's world. #

Well, brother, what's going on round here?

Hello, Sister Rita!

What are you doing?

And this time, she's coming to the assistance of Paul Matthews,

who's been a regular at the food bank for the past two years.

He has mental health problems and has been unable to work.

But now he's come to see if the nun can put an end to

a different problem that's been keeping him awake at night.

Tell me what you need today.

I'm just wondering if I could possibly have a single bed off you?

-OK, single bed...

-Yeah, cos...

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

The only reason why I'm asking for the single bed is because

I've not had a bed for... probably nearly a year.

And I've got this little tiny settee,

and I've virtually ruined it.

Well, we'll see. I'll do my best.

And if we get it, I'll let you know.

I've got your number.

The bed Paul does have is broken beyond repair,

and has become almost impossible to sleep on.

Some of the springs have actually started to come apart,

and now they start to dig into my shoulder, or my back.

You can hear the shaking, but it's when you're actually lying on it

and it comes out and you can feel them digging in you.

What I do, I usually take one of these away...

In order to get any rest,

Paul's been trying to sleep on this two-seater sofa.

This is how I have to sleep at night.

I push that up there to get as much room as I can.

And as you can see, if I just take these off...

It's tiny.

Sister Rita and her team can supply basic but essential furniture

to anyone who, like Paul, they consider has an urgent need.

Your single bed.

Can you lock that, please?

Can you lock it? Then we'll go.

And they do it thanks to the generosity

of other local people and small businesses,

who've donated items for the Lalley to find a new home.

Well, hello, mister!

-Come here, I want you.

-OK.

-That's not for me, is it?

-Yeah, that's for you.

-Is it?

-Come here.

-Look at that gorgeous mattress.

-Look at the size of it, look!

Isn't that gorgeous?

And Sister Rita wastes no time in getting Paul

to spring into action and get the bed into his room.

SHE HUMS

Come here, Paul!

Stand this mattress up, up this way.

That's the way.

Turn it around here. No, no, no, over there.

Now you put your base down, and you put your things in.

Come on. You're doing grand.

For Paul, this should mean an end

to sleepless nights squeezed on the sofa.

And for Sister Rita,

there's the satisfaction of knowing what a difference that will make.

You feel a sense of contentment about a job well done, you know.

It's great.

We've got something from somebody who didn't need it,

we've given it to somebody who does need it,

and surely that's...you know, that's good for all of us.

Helping individuals will always be at the heart of

the Lalley Centre's activities.

But Sister Rita's keen to involve the whole community

in her plans for the allotment,

which she hopes will soon be providing a reliable flow

of fresh, nutritious fruit and veg to the food bank.

So she's asked children from the neighbouring primary school,

St Malachy's, to muck in, too.

And more importantly, get planting.

Right, good morning, everybody! How are we all?

ALL: Good.

-Are we all ready do a little bit of gardening?

-ALL: Yes.

So follow me and we'll go and have a look where we are.

Rebecca, from the national environmental charity Groundwork,

has been managing the plot until it's ready for Sister Rita

and her team to take over running it full time.

And she's delighted to have some new volunteers.

So, if you do it too deep...

The seeds are very tiny.

Now, do they look like big seeds or small seeds?

-Small.

-Small seeds.

They're quite small. So can you see that?

Carrot seeds.

To maintain an interest in growing their own food,

Sister Rita and Rebecca have set aside an area specifically

for the schoolchildren.

Have you enjoyed doing a bit of gardening this morning, guys?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

It's really lovely that they've got their own little plot,

so the whole local community's involved in the allotment,

so it'll give people a bit more of an emphasis to want to come down

and help out down here.

So it's good. It's really good.

The allotment's first crops, lettuce, have been swiftly followed

by successful batches of both spinach and potatoes.

But growing produce for the food bank is only part of the battle

to help those using it eat more healthily.

Sister Rita's next aim is to ensure that

whatever supplies people collect, they know what to do with them.

And she's worried some of the locals have neither the knowledge

nor the time to try even the simplest of recipes.

Life's very stressful.

And people are out all day, and people come in,

and they're very, very tired, and they're very, very hungry.

So what do they want to do?

Do they want to set to and start cooking?

The answer is, no, they don't.

But the motivating factor is,

this is the right thing to do.

It's the right thing to do, to actually get some ingredients

that are health giving and to actually put a little bit of time

into very simple cooking, and provide a meal for the family.

To show how easy it can be

to whip up tasty, wholesome food without spending much time or money,

Sister Rita's latest initiative is to trial a cookery course,

one she hopes will help people make the most

of what's on offer at the food bank.

Now, there's a cookery course starting on Monday 20th June,

and it's cooking on a budget.

Everything is provided, it'll be in the hall in there.

One in ten of us admit to not being able to cook at all,

and research shows it's in low-income homes where people

are more likely to rely on a high-fat, high-sugar diet

made up by processed foods and ready meals.

To tackle this, nearby football club Manchester City

already runs cooking classes as part of its community work,

teaching parents and children alike about healthy eating,

as well as basic cooking skills.

So Sister Rita has sweet-talked the club's community health officer,

Olivia Loughlin, into running the same classes here at the Lalley.

The four-week course has room for ten people at a time,

and there's been an encouraging turnout on the first day.

Lisa is a mum-of-three,

struggling to encourage her family to eat healthily.

I buy fruit, nobody eats it. Don't eat veg.

Everything just goes in the bin.

So, yeah, I want to budget.

That's what I need to do.

And Tina, who's volunteering at the Lalley

as part of a scheme to help her back into work,

has come along to broaden the range of what she can cook.

I've got five kids.

I just want to learn new things, that's all.

Just get stuck in a rut, don't you?

I have a routine, and everything, and eat the same stuff.

Olivia's keen to start with something simple,

so that no-one's intimidated or put off coming back.

So, this cooking programme,

we're going to be doing different recipes each week.

So today, we've got a really nice breakfast one.

While breakfast is often considered the most important meal of the day,

it's reckoned half of us sometimes skip it.

OK, so today, we're doing a breakfast yoghurt pot.

So this is a really good one cos it's nice and quick,

and you can actually leave it overnight in the fridge.

They're going to chop the strawberries up, put them in a pot,

then they're going to mix porridge oats

and the natural yoghurt together.

So when you pop it in the fridge,

the porridge oats will absorb the natural yoghurt,

and that's what will make them go really nice,

cos obviously, you wouldn't just eat porridge oats dry on their own.

Isn't this raw porridge?

Yeah, raw porridge.

And it's all right?

Yeah, because you can have it tomorrow morning.

-Really?

-Yeah.

And it... Will it be cooked?

Yeah, that's why you've got the yoghurt in there.

And it seems everyone's learning something new.

For many of the parents in the class,

this simple dish could be a way of getting their families

to eat a healthier breakfast.

I want to learn what I can,

because I've got plenty of kids, big family, so...

Do what I can.

I've never done this before. I want to learn how to do it.

I want a big, delicious breakfast for my son.

It's like a cheesecake!

That looks nice, yeah.

Ah, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

-Very good, very good!

-Thank you.

-OK, thanks, girls.

-Thank you!

With the class warmed up,

in week two, Olivia wants to see how they handle something a bit harder

and more substantial - affordable and healthy burgers.

Turkey burgers.

Ooh, isn't that gorgeous?

The main reason behind turkey is because, first of all,

it is a lot cheaper than your beef mince.

OK, so this, the one that we're using today,

was £2.85 for one of the large packets,

which is obviously a lot cheaper than your beef mince.

A lot of people will say that,

"My children don't like vegetables, they don't like fruit,"

so a lot of the recipes do encourage

vegetables to be hidden in there as well,

so a lot of children don't actually realise they're eating them,

which is a really good way to get their five-a-day in there, as well.

While the turkey offers an affordable source of rich protein,

the other fresh ingredients include chopped onion, coriander,

as well as egg and crushed crackers.

What we're going to do with these is use the rolling pin,

and we're actually going to smash them up and then add them in.

Does anybody know why we would use crackers?

They can form the burger together.

Exactly, cos it holds it together. That's brilliant, well done.

ROLLING PINS THUMPS

Who have you got under your hammer, there, love? Which one?

THEY LAUGH

Which one of the family?

As the team put the finishing touches to their sizzlers,

Sister Rita takes a sample for her team of volunteers to try.

Very nice. Did you do those?

How could you say that?

-You say that to the kid...

-They look lovely!

You say that to the kid when they bring them in, and you think,

"Oh, my," and you say, "Oh, they're very nice."

-They're very nice, though.

-Put a picture on the fridge.

THEY LAUGH

Nice.

While Sister Rita hopes the cookery class

boosts the community's culinary skills,

sometimes the support she and her team provide

has truly life-changing results,

transforming the prospects of those who can't see

a way out of their situation.

And the nun hopes to do that for Adrian Burke,

who's been battling with depression since his father died 15 years ago.

Too sick to work, he's relied on benefits.

But he's recently got into financial difficulties

that have left him dependent on the Lalley Centre for food.

I'd say 95% of what's in there at the minute's from the food banks.

Luckily enough, we're getting the food from there today.

And if I take another trip down there tomorrow,

that'll do me until my next benefit comes in.

Rather than various different benefits,

Adrian receives just one single payment -

the government's controversial Universal Credit.

Intended to simplify and overhaul the UK's welfare system,

its roll-out has been delayed amid claims of computer problems.

And Adrian's convinced that when he was transferred onto

the new benefit, an admin error occurred,

and his council tax has not been paid.

He's been contacted by bailiffs for £3,000

in unpaid council tax and rent.

The bailiffs are calling round, basically,

because with all the changing over with my benefits,

somehow or other, they've stopped paying the council tax.

And even though I got letters through,

and I phoned up the council to enquire about it,

the council have said, as far as they're aware,

they're not being paid it.

So I got onto the social, and as far as the social were concerned,

they were paying it.

So because the two of them won't speak to each other,

it's going more and more into arrears all the time.

With little spare income, Adrian is often left struggling

to top up the prepayment meter for his electricity.

If the electric's run out, it's run out, and I can't do anything.

So I use... I've got little lamps there,

battery-operated, that I use.

And other than that, I've got candles.

So I just use the candles.

But when he runs out of electricity

to cook the ingredients he gets from the food bank,

Adrian has come up with a desperate and extremely dangerous solution.

When I'm out of electricity altogether,

I've got a barbecue here on the veranda.

And if it's not raining, I'll cook it out there.

But if it's pouring it down, as it often is,

I just open the kitchen there fully, and set it down here.

And I cook on that.

Not only is using a barbecue indoors a serious fire risk,

but they also emit carbon monoxide,

an invisible, odourless and poisonous gas

that can be fatal in a confined space indoors.

When Sister Rita gets wind of what Adrian's been doing,

she's determined to nip it in the bud,

and she pulls him into her office when he next comes in.

There was some suggestion from somewhere that you didn't have

an electric cooker, and you were cooking on a barbecue.

No, what happened was, I had no money for the electric.

Listen. Don't do it.

Please don't do it.

Too dangerous.

At the moment, I'm struggling with just about everything,

because just about everything I'm sort of, like,

trying to get sorted out, it's taking its time, and...

It's obvious to Sister Rita

that Adrian is in desperate need of some help,

so he can make clearer decisions and get his life back on track.

So while she starts forming a plan

of how to motivate and support him in the future,

she quickly offers an invaluable solution for the immediate problem.

All right, listen to me now.

Did you know that we at the Lalley

can get people's gas cards and electric cards,

go over to the shop and top them up? Did you know that?

I didn't know that until the other week.

Well, you know it now.

I want you to bring those two things in

every time you run out.

What you must not do

is not able to feed yourself and not have electricity.

It's just the start of the assistance Sister Rita hopes

to be able to provide to get Adrian back on his feet.

But for now, practical help with his electricity is a lifeline.

When you're saying your prayers, say a prayer for me, please.

And when you're saying yours, you pray for me.

Don't forget, please.

Thank you.

-I'll see you, Sister.

-OK.

There's some soul in this fella,

and I didn't know he was struggling.

There's something went terribly wrong for him, you know,

maybe a little time ago or a long time ago, I don't know.

But I'd like to know, because if you...

If you get that, it kind of sets the scene

for why they're in this position right now.

Are you listening?

As she sets out to understand Adrian's problems better,

Sister Rita knows more than most how battling with your health

can prevent you from moving forward.

-Look after yourself.

-Yeah.

Born deaf, her condition wasn't diagnosed for many years,

leaving her struggling at school.

The nuns that taught her mistook her condition for unruly behaviour,

and it was only really when she first came to Collyhurst,

to this convent

of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

that she was able to put all that behind her.

This is the door I came through

when I came on that wonderful night in 1961.

And then this corridor I would've looked down.

And all the sisters were standing all the way along here,

all the way along here, all the way down there, all the way down there.

It was really, really awesome.

And it was quite exciting, really.

That's the little...

It wasn't long before she became firm friends with Sister Ann.

First of all, when I came, she was

quite poorly with her ear, she was deaf.

But once she got...she got the right treatment for her deafness,

she was able then to take a more active part in everything.

She'd always a terrific sense of fun

and she's a good singer.

I don't know if you've ever heard her sing, but she's a good singer.

Kind of unusual sounds.

I mean, what would we do without you here, love?

# What would we do without you? #

It typically takes around six or seven years of training

before a nun is considered ready to take her final vows.

And Sister Rita believes that the self sacrifices and hard work

involved equipped with the skills she now uses in her mission

to improve the lives of local residents.

I think it prepared us for every single eventuality that hits you

because it did hit you.

Remember, we were young, you know.

We must've of... Some of us did think about,

"Should we get married, should we have children?"

And it was a period of discernment,

a period of getting in touch with yourself, with your own feelings.

And it was difficult, but I'm glad it was difficult.

I'm glad I got what I got because I never now, ever, ever, ever,

have a situation that I think, "Well, I can't cope with this,"

because I was prepared to cope with this.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

Looks very nice, actually, this quiche.

Many aspects of convent life have remained unchanged for generations.

But when Sister Rita arrived in the 1960s, the novice nuns

were forbidden from leaving the convent.

-Remember the dog we had?

-Noddy.

-No, what was he called?

-Trixie.

-Trixie.

-Trixie.

-And he got out.

And if he was out when the gate was locked, he'd be up and down barking.

So Bridget and myself - you weren't supposed to go out -

went all around the streets.

So we brought Trixie in and met Mother Monica there,

and she said, "And where have you been?"

THEY LAUGH

I said, "We went to find Trixie, Mother, because we thought

"we'd be in trouble if we didn't. We presumed we'd be in trouble."

And she went, "Sister, be careful what you presume."

RITA LAUGHS

We had such laughs, really.

They were dead simple, weren't they?

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

-ALL:

-As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,

world without end, amen.

This chapel is very special. Very special to me.

You get a lovely feeling when you come in here.

I suppose part of it says this is your home, you know?

It'll always be my home, no matter where I live.

-And bring us to everlasting life.

-Amen.

Oh, she was always a character.

I want to go home now.

Mostly...

..they will say it now, you'd never say no to Sister Rita,

but it wasn't like that initially, you know?

It's kind of...she's grown into all the things she's done.

She has a terrific heart for people and for the poor.

And I think she'll always listen to people

and she'll always want to go one step beyond whatever she's doing.

And hopefully, it will all be blessed as it has been in the past.

I have tremendous faith.

I know, I just know that God is next to me and he's never absent.

I have a couple of saints too.

One of them is called Saint Joseph.

I have a couple of fights with him sometimes, but it's OK,

he moves mountains for me as well.

So I think faith gives you the ability to actually move mountains.

Sister Rita would say her faith remains the driving force

behind everything she does to change lives for the better.

Her latest project is the cookery classes,

intended to equip the Lalley's visitors with the knowledge

and skills to rustle up low-budget, healthy meals.

And in the third week of the course, things are cranking up a gear.

Healthy eating expert Olivia from Manchester City Football Club

is showing the group how to make a nutritious Bolognese sauce.

OK, so let's get started.

So the whole point behind this recipe is that we are using

the tins of chopped tomatoes, OK?

So, we're going to make our own pasta sauce.

-Have some carrots.

-You don't want that?

-No.

-Go ahead.

-OK.

-The more, the merrier.

-The more, the merrier.

-Don't waste food.

After helping him with his new bed, Sister Rita invited Paul to the

cooking class to help him learn some new skills.

-OLIVIA:

-Let's have a look.

-It smells absolutely brilliant.

Ah! That smells so good.

Paul's hoping to learn recipes that will help make the tins

and ingredients he gets from the food bank

go that little bit further, but it seems that his first of taste

of the course has made a good impression.

Buying food is expensive, anyway.

But if you get help from places like this, where you can

actually cook on a budget and they'll actually help you.

So sometimes you don't have to go out

and start buying on-the-day stuff.

You can still eat healthy, just on a budget.

Does anybody else have any more questions?

No? Perfect.

The classes are a reminder of Sister Rita's determination to help

people find ways that can help themselves,

a principle that remains fundamental to her plans for the allotment.

You must keep at it.

"Perseverance" is a long word.

But things out here haven't been easy,

with unusually hot weather proving

far more challenging than anyone expected.

The team discovered that there was no way of getting

a mains water supply to the thirsty new crops,

and for several weeks, the volunteers have been working

extra hard to water all the plants by hand.

All the plants and vegetable have to die of thirst.

It's just the craziest thing I've ever heard of.

So, to raise their spirits and keep the dream of

a bumper summer crop alive, Sister Rita has arranged for the group to

visit this community farm near Todmorden, West Yorkshire.

Fruit and veg are grown here on an epic scale and they've successfully

overcome the very same problems the Lalley's teams are currently

struggling with.

The whole site is off grid, we've got no electricity and

no water and so we manage with sunlight and rainfall.

Volunteer Donna has been at the heart of the work on

the allotment back in Collyhurst.

How do you water the plants in the poly-tunnel with it being so long?

Well, there are several systems. Partly, it's done by hand.

There's big tanks of water in there, which are from rainwater,

and when the sun's out, we've got all these solar panels.

So in the summer, we've got masses of electricity.

So we can trigger pumps that bring

the stream water on site in the summer.

Nick runs the project here and is keen to make sure Sister Rita

and her team don't lose faith in their own ambitious plans.

-You've been here ten years, yeah?

-No, we've been here five years.

-Oh, five.

-Been doing it for ten years.

Don't be obsessed with tidiness, grow things that grow quick and

don't try and grown perfect vegetables.

Don't think about, you know, the show.

Think about your tummy.

We didn't become experts instantly.

We became experts by plugging away at this for a number of years.

Actually, all they've got to do is plug away at it and it will come.

-Thank you very much. We're really, really...

-Good luck and keep at it.

A big clap.

The visit has really galvanised the team and reassured Sister Rita

that even if she fails in getting a water mains tap put on site,

the allotment could still work without one.

But she hasn't given up on a tap just yet.

So, in a last-ditch attempt to get one,

she contacts the local MP Graham Stringer

to insist he persuade the water company and the council

to get a water supply up and running.

-Oh, Mr Stringer! How do you do? You are very welcome.

-Nice to meet you.

-Never met you before, have I?

-We've met before.

-Have you ever met me?

About five or six years ago, I think.

You know what he's going to say, "Once seen, never forgotten."

-Come on.

-LAUGHTER

No sooner has the MP arrived than the nun whisks him straight

-down to the plot.

-The council owns the land.

-What we wanted from the council... Are you listening?

-I'm listening.

..is to get water... Instead of dragging it from the Lalley Centre,

how could you possibly water this place, you know?

-Somewhere on this side...

-Yeah.

So we want water on site so that we can look after what's growing.

What I can do, by writing letters on House of Commons

headed notepaper, it's amazing what can be achieved sometimes.

So, I will write to the city council,

probably United Utilities as well and see what help can be given.

While Sister Rita waits to see if the MP can help move things

in the right direction, she's not wasting any time in trying to

help Adrian turn his life around.

She has succeeded in stopping him cooking indoors on his barbecue,

so next on the list is getting to the bottom of his debt problems.

Did you like it?

-We didn't do too bad, did we?

-No.

Considering you're only a beginner!

I meet the majority of the people at the Lalley who are coping with

things that you wouldn't even dream of.

And they are carrying them.

They are like boulders in a rucksack on their backs, and it affects

them, it affects their health, their mental health,

it affects how they live their lives.

Adrian's debt has got so bad that he's been threatened with bailiffs.

He's convinced that's down to an error with his benefits,

but his problems began 15 years ago when his father died

in tragic circumstances, and he turned to drink in order to cope.

I started off on benefits after...

..my dad died in a house fire, which is over 15 years ago now.

Because I was the one who had to actually identify him.

After that, I was just sort of, like,

getting nightmares all the time.

So I started drinking.

And eventually I ended up losing my job because I was drinking too much.

I ended up on antidepressants.

A lot of the times, I was sort of, like, walking around like a zombie.

Adrian has become trapped in a cycle of trying to pay off his debt,

but needing money to live.

And it's proving impossible for him to resolve things on his own.

I owe money out before I even get it

and then when I get it, and pay back them,

by the time the next payment is due,

I'm having to borrow again and start paying that back,

the next time I get it.

To find a way of sorting things out, Sister Rita has arranged for him to

sit down with the Lalley's in-house advice and information worker, Cath.

Hiya. Come in. Take a seat here.

So, I'm Cath.

Adrian is adamant that he is up to date with both his

council tax and rent, and believe the root of his money troubles is

a mix-up between the council and his housing association.

And he's convinced that's behind what he sees as unnecessary

deductions being made each month on his Universal Credit.

-They do make mistakes...

-I know, yeah, but I can't get a straight

answer off either one of them

and neither of them will speak to each other about it.

-So I'm stuck in the middle.

-It's very frustrating, isn't it?

-HE SCOFFS

-So, approximately how much?

-About 1,000 or 1,500.

-Right.

-I can't remember exactly.

-That's all right. Just approximately.

And rent arrears?

-About the same.

-About the same.

And this, do you feel that

both debts are due to this

benefit problem?

-Yeah.

-Right, OK.

Cath knows exactly what Adrian needs to do next and points Adrian

towards a new debt advice centre

that has recently opened up close to the Lalley.

Unlike commercial debt management companies that charge a fee,

the Gateway Debt Advice Centre is one of several charities that

provide face-to-face consultations completely free,

offering solutions on how to move forward.

Information about similar organisations is available on

the Citizens Advice website, and they can make an immediate

difference for someone like Adrian.

They ask them to put a hold for 30 days on things

so that they can check it all out and clarify.

In terms of the bailiffs, you don't let them in your house,

I would say don't negotiate with them.

Just say, "I've gone through a debt advice agency."

And I can assure you that they will deal with that. They are very quick.

I will do a referral over today.

So try not to worry, I know it's hard when there's bailiffs

knocking on your door, but it will get sorted.

Aw, it's lovely to meet you.

-Take care now.

-Thank you.

But as the centre is in Collyhurst, Cath is able to book

Adrian the next available appointment.

Hey, Cath.

-Hey, Chris. This is Adrian.

-Hi, Adrian. I'm Chris...

What they'll do here is, they'll give him a number of options,

whether it be go for a debt relief order

or debt management plan, but it's a charity.

Cos a lot of these places that advertise,

they would want a cut of the money, but this is a charity.

They are very much about people.

He is very desperate and it's very chaotic and unless something

is done quickly, he's going to end up losing his home.

As Adrian emerges from his meeting,

he's optimistic that, with the centre's help, he'll now be

able to set up a manageable plan for sorting out his debts.

I think it's gone pretty well, actually.

It's better than I was expecting.

So, when I come in to see them next week,

hopefully, they'll have all the, sort of, like, gist of everything,

and we can take it onto the next step.

So, I'm feeling a bit more positive now.

For Sister Rita, helping people like Adrian

take the first crucial steps towards resolving their problems

is what the Lalley Centre is all about.

And the allotment is her biggest opportunity yet

to start making far-reaching changes on a bigger scale.

By getting the whole community involved in growing fresh produce

for the food bank,

she hopes to encourage a much better understanding of healthy eating.

And the cookery classes she's been running

are designed to help anyone turn that knowledge into action.

This is something that we have to work on, you know?

Not just for the parents,

but also for the children, that they're given a good start,

that they are given good, healthy, nourishing food,

and that, you know, they will be encouraged then

to begin to look at their own potentials

and try to reach them.

It all starts, you know, with how people are fed and looked after

when they're very little.

As the final week of the cookery course comes around,

Olivia has been tasked with showing how to make meals

using only items from the food bank

and fresh produce from the allotment.

But unsure of what that means she'll have to work with,

Olivia heads over to the food bank,

where Lalley volunteer Danny can show her what's typically in stock.

-Hi, I'm Olivia.

-Hello, I'm Danny.

-Nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

-You all right?

-This is the food bank.

-OK, brilliant.

-There you go, love.

Figures show that poorer households typically spend far less

on fresh vegetables and meat than those that are better off.

So the point of this final class is to demonstrate

what's achievable for everyone who comes to the Lalley.

-So, this is the meat section.

-OK.

-So, you get different types of meat.

-Different types of meat.

-Like this, here, you get like different varieties.

-Right, OK.

-Then we get loads of tins and that.

-Yeah.

We've got a store room at the Lalley Centre

-where we do food parcels for people...

-Oh, brilliant.

..and we're gradually bringing them over bit by bit.

Recognising that the type of food that comes into the food bank

can vary week to week, Olivia wants to come up with a dish

where the basic ingredients can be easily swapped around.

Armed with tins of tomatoes, chickpeas and packets of chicken,

Olivia believes she's got the basics

for a healthy chicken dish and sauce.

All she needs now is to head over to the allotment with Sister Rita

to see what produce she can get her hands on

to really jazz it up and add that vital extra freshness.

-Yeah, that will be more than enough.

-Yeah?

Smell it. It's so nice, isn't it?

Oh, that's lovely. Thank you, Donna.

Look at the size of this.

-How big is that?

-Wow!

-I know.

I'll show you the ones inside that I've just bought today.

They're coming out with... Put holy water on them!

THEY LAUGH

Both Olivia and Sister Rita are delighted

by the size and quality of produce

the allotment is finally starting to yield.

That's so good.

You can take the big ones or some of the small ones, it's up to you.

I don't mind, this will be more than enough. This is brilliant.

-Feel how heavy it is.

-See, that would serve about four people.

-Easily, yes.

-Whereas the supermarket ones that are about that size

-would feed one person.

-Yeah.

The ones we've got inside are even smaller than this.

I think it's wonderful.

With the hand-picked courgettes and fresh basil from the allotment,

Olivia's happy she's got what she needs

to add to her haul of items from the food bank.

Long term, this is exactly what Sister Rita hopes will become

the norm for people using the food bank -

access to everything they need for a healthier diet.

But for now, all that's needed

is for Olivia to show her budding cooks how it's done.

So we're doing...Using courgettes, which are from the allotment,

peppers, which we can find from the food bank,

onions as well,

and we're going to cook those first

with a little bit of garlic to add some flavour in.

And then we're going to add half a tin of chopped tomatoes in.

Then we're going to add some chickpeas in,

put it all together and that will be the dish.

Olivia's keen to remind the class how easy it is

to swap the dish's main ingredients,

depending on what's in stock in the food bank.

You could put potatoes in it, it's completely up to you,

you don't just have to stick to this.

It's just to show you that you can take little bits of everything

and put it into one big meal.

-What do you do with the basil? Just chop it up fine?

-Yeah.

So, chop it up quite finely, yes.

One of the people Sister Rita is most pleased to see

joining the cooking course is Adrian.

Battling with spiralling debt and years of depression,

she's been keen for him to get more active again in the community,

and this is an ideal way for him to do it.

Already a decent cook, Adrian wants to get more ideas

about how to utilise the fresh produce from the allotment

in what he prepares,

although this time not on the barbecue.

Well, whenever you get fresh food, it's always a lot better

than what you're going to get in a supermarket or even a local shop,

and especially when you've actually seen it growing

and you're able to know when it's actually ready for cooking with.

It feels good to cook something from the allotment

because when you watch it planted,

watch it grow, harvest it,

cook it, you feel satisfactory

and somehow it tastes different

from the one you just get from the store.

It's good.

Those people here who are determined to learn how to cook,

they are making a difference for their families,

and I think that that's wonderful. And some of them really like this,

they like to cook, they like to learn

and I want to encourage that.

So, you just need to keep it moving, and you'll see it all heat up.

-Yeah.

-So, it will start to soften.

So, the vegetables are always really hard when they're raw.

-Yeah, yeah.

-And then it will start to soften up

once it gets cooked more.

Sister Rita seems very happy with the results.

So, this is food from the food bank and food from the allotment.

-Yeah.

-And it can make that meal.

-Gorgeous.

-It's good, isn't it? So, that's what you can do.

I will think of you tonight when I'm eating it.

OLIVIA LAUGHS

And the nun's right-hand man, Max,

is quick to put Nicky's dish to the test.

-Mmm.

-Delicioso.

Delicioso.

SHE LAUGHS

Very nice. Very nice.

Adrian's benefited from the class not just by picking up new recipes,

but by meeting new people too.

It has been useful coming here

because not only does it get you out of the flat for a while

and a bit of socialising,

but you're also actually learning as you're going.

And it's clear that everyone is happy with what's been achieved.

I'm proud of the Lalley Centre,

I'm proud of Sister Rita,

I'm proud of the allotment

because we've just got some stuff from the allotment and we cooked it

and it turned out to be very great.

Just doing this for the people,

people that don't have a lot of money, to save on a budget

and even eat healthy is absolutely brilliant,

-so Sister's done a lot.

-I'm really pleased with how it's gone.

It's been brilliant.

And quite a few them said that as well as cooking skills

and new ideas for being healthy,

their confidence has actually improved,

and for me, that was just... It was really good to hear that.

Get in there.

Sister Rita's thrilled the course has gone down so well

and that it shows her ambition

for making the allotment work alongside the food bank

as a key part of the community is getting one step closer to reality.

First of all, thank you so much for coming.

Thank you to Liv for being so kind to us.

And it's very, very good news for all of us

that we are able to pick stuff from the allotment,

cook it here on the premises, take it home and enjoy it,

and I really enjoyed the session, you're a great group.

-Thanks very, very much. Thank you.

-ALL:

-Thank you.

And that's exactly what the Lalley Centre is about -

creating community,

creating fun, laughter, understanding,

reaching out to one another.

All those things are what we all need, everyone of us.

We all need friendship, we all need laughter,

we all need those who will reach out to us when we're going through it.

Next time,

Sister Rita takes some of the visitors on their first ever trip

to the seaside.

They're like big kids, and it's just sheer enjoyment for them.

So, they're having a great time and so are we.

And the nun seizes the chance to help locals gain a new qualification

by launching a forklift truck driving course.

But can they pass the test?

If I could get a decent job with a decent wage,

if I can finish this qualification, it'll open so many doors up for me.