Former footballer and manager Lou Macari has revealed how he set up a homeless shelter in Stoke-on-Trent after seeing a report about rough sleepers in the city. The ex-Manchester United and Celtic star, now 71, decided to investigate for himself and within half an hour had spotted 25 people sleeping rough in Hanley town centre.
“It was cold, it was windy and I thought ‘surely we can do better than this?’” Macari told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Stephen Nolan. Macari, who played for Scotland in the 1978 World Cup and managed clubs including Celtic and Stoke City, said he felt he wanted to give back in retirement. “All my life I was in a privileged position and I just thought ‘what have I ever done to help anybody?’”
With help from the town council, Macari found a building and began providing emergency shelter. Four years on, the Macari Centre continues to offer short-term accommodation. During the pandemic, Macari came up with an innovative solution to keep residents together: he installed wooden glamping pods inside a warehouse, each with its own front door and number.
“They’ve gone from untidy people to showing a great deal of pride in their pod,” Macari said. Each pod also has a television donated by the League Managers Association. Macari said the change has been incredible, noting that residents now have an address to give to the job centre and a way to stay informed about the world.
Macari admitted he initially expected to step back from running the centre, but instead finds himself there most of the time. “Because my name’s above the door, I want to be here most of the time because I want to do things right,” he said.
