Nestled away in the leafy streets of Whalley Range is a peaceful oasis. A burst of warmth hits you as you walk in, and the house twinkles with festive decorations.
Many of the young women who live here have never experienced a happy Christmas before. Some come from a background of abuse or oppression - others may have had loving parents who just fell on tough times.
Launched in 1970 by a former nun, Contact was created with the vision to provide vulnerable young women at risk of grooming or exploitation a safe place to call home.
READ MORE: 'A cup of coffee saved me from being raped... it might have saved my life'
Over fifty years later, the youth homelessness charity has helped scores of teenagers between the ages of 16 to 20 put down roots, start successful careers and even receive offers from universities like Cambridge.
The organisation have recently teamed up with actress Siobhan Finneran, known for her roles in Benidorm, Happy Valley, and Alma's Not Normal - a BBC series which focuses on the experiences of care-leaver, Alma.
The series, filmed in Bolton, follows Alma as she tries to reconcile the strained relationships of her family that saw her spend time in the care system.
Oldham-born Finneran is now using her experience from her role as Alma's mother, to become a patron for Contact, and recently visited the charity's hostel - which provides a room for eight women at a time.
During a recent visit to the hostel, Siobhan said: "Contact Hostel is a warm safe home with a devoted inspirational team who give the young women who live there hope, structure, support, guidance and the love and care that has been sadly missing.
"These young women have experienced difficulties in their lives that most of us cannot even begin to comprehend but the hope is whilst living at Contact they can thrive, grow in confidence and self-esteem and achieve what was previously thought unachievable given their circumstances .
"I feel very honoured to be their Patron and look forward to working with the young women and staff at this amazing place"
The hostel in Whalley Range was bought by Brigid Murphy in 1970. Previously working at a school for young offenders in Manchester, she was concerned that too many young women were leaving education with nowhere safe to call home.
"She became very concerned about what happened to young women in particular, especially in terms of prostitution and substance misuse," says Billie Coleman-Jones, a partner at Contact.
Using her own money, Brigid bought the house with the idea of creating a safe haven for girls to live as they figured out their next steps - instead of ending up on the streets of Manchester.
Women from all over Greater Manchester are referred to the hostel, and have to prove they are remaining in education, are in work or are undertaking apprenticeships to keep their place.
"We are known here for taking in very vulnerable women who are at a high risk of grooming if they are house in mixed accommodation," says Billie.
"There is definitely a hidden aspect of homelessness when it comes to women. Many of them tend to stay in unhealthy relationships because they need somewhere to live so we are desperately trying to break that."
"All the women have to come for an interview first. It’s not just a hostel where they can dump their stuff they have to remain in education, work or get an apprenticeship.
"We like to encourage that they don’t spend more than three nights out a week but they are allowed to sleep over at friend’s houses. The idea is that they check in with us."
The doors to the hostel are locked at night, CCTV cameras are rigged up around the outside of the property, and residents are advised not to share the exact location - all to ensure the girl's safety.
As the hostel gears up for Christmas, huge gift bags brimming with presents are sprawled across the office, and a beautifully decorated tree stands in the shared living space. A big Amazon delivery was dropped off that morning.
"Some of them have never had a proper Christmas before," says Billie. "We have seen a lot of young women who have fled from oppressive or abusive families.
"We do a full Christmas lunch for anyone staying here and they get to open all their presents in the morning. We make sure we get them all pyjamas, slippers and a voucher but everything else comes from donations."
Over the years, the hostel has seen many success stories from the women who have stayed there - including one woman who is about to go to university to study to become a paralegal.
"She did come from a loving home but her mum fell on hard times and ended up on the streets," says Billie. "She was a brilliant hustler and got an apprenticeship at a big law firm.
"She is now about to go to university to study to become a paralegal. Another girl who lived here got the grades to be offered an unconditional spot at Cambridge."
You can find out more about how to help and donate to Contact here.
Read more of today's top stories here
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