Residents in Manchester do the sweetest thing for a homeless man, that involves lots and lots of celebration, reports Barbara Onwumere

Nobody wants to spend their birthday alone, that’s exactly what residents in Manchester did not want for a homeless man, after a group of friends heard he had planned to celebrate his birthday alone. They decided to take matters into their own hands and throw a birthday party for him.

The homeless man named Steve stays around the Cheetham Hill area, a popular face usually sleeping next to a disused phone box accompanied by his dog Tyson. Steve has spent his birthdays alone in previous years, but local residents chose to do something different for the 46 year old.

The celebration was organised by one local resident Shalva Moussa, 35, a mother of three along with some friends. They arranged a birthday party, complete with a cake, presents and balloons. Steve was apparently “so overwhelmed” by the gesture. Moussa stated that Steve “never asks for money, he just sits there with his dog and talks to passers by”. She also says that “He’s a really nice guy and you can have some really interesting conversations with him about different things”.

Ms Shalva says she often buys Steve food or hot drinks and was upset after learning that he had never been able to celebrate his birthday properly. She said: “He told me he’d find a candle for himself from somewhere, light it and blow it out”, also that, “last year he spent it alone in tears. The vision of that broke my heart, I was determined to not let that happen this year so I asked him when his birthday was and put it in my diary.”

They decorated the area that Steve stays in the hopes of spreading positivity and happiness towards him.