The 1977 FA Cup winner has fitted out a warehouse in Stoke-on-Trent with 48 ‘pods’ for homeless people. Each of the pods is fitted with a brand new TV, secured from the League Managers Association after Macari issued an SOS to its chief executive.
He has also had support from food firms like Sainsbury’s and Greggs in his quest to use the centre to offer a fresh start in life to the people who need shelter.
Commenting in https://sortedmag.com/ he explained: ‘The LMA has donated 48 televisions, so everyone’s got an LG television for themselves, We bought 40 pods .
It’s more or less a little house of their own, that’s probably the best way to describe it. For the 48 people we’ve got, it’s probably the first time in their lives that they’ve had something of their own.
‘They’ve come to the Macari [Centre] from a background of probably always being on the streets and never really having anything. So for once now they’ve got their own little place to look after to keep nice and tidy, to keep clean.
We hope to improve and try to keep improving the lives that they’re leading. I do think the individual buildings [they’ve got] gives them a good start. It’s that independence that they need.
‘They’re a good bunch who need help, and anybody’s help – whether it’s mine or it’s the council, whether it’s the people providing food.’