Christmas Helplines

My office will be closed for the Christmas break from Friday 19th December 2025 and will re-open on Monday 5th January 2026.

However, I will be intermittently checking the inbox for any urgent enquiries which cannot wait until 5th January. Please ensure you include your full address and a contact number. All other correspondence will be responded to after 5th January.

I have also included some helplines below which may be of help in the meantime.

I wish you all the best wishes for Christmas, and a peaceful New Year.

Rebecca Long-Bailey MP
Member of Parliament for Salford

Salford City Council

If you have an emergency or if you need emergency accommodation during this period, please call their ‘out of hours’ team on 0161 794 8888 who will be working throughout the Christmas period.

Bin collection dates

There are some changes to your bin collection days during the Christmas period.

  • No collection will take place on Thursday 25 December 2025 (your replacement collection date is Saturday 20 December 2025)
  • No collection will take place on Friday 26 December 2025 (your replacement collection date is Saturday 27 December 2025)
  • No collection will take place on Thursday 1 January 2026 (your replacement collection date is Saturday 3 January 2026).

Look up your bin collection day here.

See details of collection changes for businesses here.

How to recycle your Christmas tree

You can take your artificial Christmas trees to your local household and recycling centre.

You can recycle your real Christmas tree either:

  • By taking it to your local household and recycling centre,
  • By chopping it into pieces and put them in your food and garden pink lidded bin. Please take off the base or wooden block if your tree has one and make sure the trunk is not thicker than your wrist. Wood thicker than your wrist is too big and can’t be put in your pink lidded food and garden bin. You can take large trunks and wooden bases to your local recycling centre, OR
  • By arranging for it to be collected and recycled by the Just Helping Charity. Go to just-helping.org.uk/register-tree for details.

Household recycling centres

Your local recycling centres will all be open except on Christmas Day (Thursday 25 December 2025) and New Year’s Day (Thursday 1 January 2026) when they will be closed. Please check holiday opening times on the Recycle for Greater Manchester site before you visit.

  • Brindle Heath, Cobden Street, Salford, M6 6NA
  • Lumns Lane, Swinton, M27 8LN
  • Boysnope Wharf, Irlam, M30 7RH
  • Salford Road Recycling Centre, Salford Road, Bolton, BL5 1DG

Spirit of Salford Helpline

The Spirit of Salford helpline on 0800 952 1000 will be open for reduced hours over the Christmas period and open as usual from Friday 2 January 2026.

Spirit of Salford, Right Care Right Person Helpline

DateOpening hours
Wednesday 24 December 20258.30am to 4.30pm
Thursday 25 December 2025CLOSED
Friday 26 December 2025CLOSED
Saturday 27 December 2025CLOSED
Sunday 28 December 2025CLOSED
Monday 29 December 202510am to 4pm
Tuesday 30 December 202510am to 4pm
Wednesday 31 December 202510am to 4pm
Thursday 1 January 2026CLOSED

Gateways and Broughton Hub

Broughton Hub, Eccles, Swinton, Pendleton and Walkden Gateways will be open for customer services for reduced hours over the Christmas period and open as usual from Friday 2 January 2026 onwards.

DateOpening hours
Wednesday 24 December 20258am to 4.30pm
Thursday 25 December 2025CLOSED
Friday 26 December 2025CLOSED
Saturday 27 December 20259am to 1pm
Sunday 28 December 2025CLOSED
Monday 29 December 202510am to 4pm
Tuesday 30 December 202510am to 4pm
Wednesday 31 December 202510am to 4pm
Thursday 1 January 2026CLOSED

Salford Assist

If you need emergency help for fuel, food, baby items or essential furniture, Salford Assist maybe able to help. Salford Assist will be open for limited hours over the Christmas period, see opening hours in the table below. Phone lines will be open as usual from Friday 2 January 2026 onwards.

DateOpening hours
Wednesday 24 December 202510am to 1pm
Thursday 25 December 2025CLOSED
Friday 26 December 2025CLOSED
Saturday 27 December 2025CLOSED
Sunday 28 December 2025CLOSED
Monday 29 December 202510am to 2pm
Tuesday 30 December 202510am to 2pm
Wednesday 31 December 202510am to 2pm
Thursday 1 January 2026CLOSED

Please call the freephone number 0800 694 3695 or see the Salford Assist pages for more information.

Supported Tenancies

The Supported Tenancies Service will be closed from 4.30pm on Wednesday 24 December 2025 and will reopen at 8.30am, on Friday 2 January 2026. If you have an issue with the property you are staying in, please contact the provider or call Salford City Council’s out of hours emergency line on 0161 794 8888.

Adult Social Care

There are some changes to the opening hours for Adult Health Social Care over the Christmas period. Please refer to the table below for the revised timings.

DateOpening hours
Thursday 25 December 2025CLOSED
Friday 26 December 2025CLOSED
Saturday 27 December 2025CLOSED
Sunday 28 December 2025CLOSED
Monday 29 December 20258.30am to 4.30pm
Tuesday 30 December 20258.30am to 4.30pm
Wednesday 31 December 20258.30am to 4.30pm
Thursday 1 January 2026CLOSED
Friday 2 January 20268.30am to 4.30pm

You can contact the team for support during this time on 0161 206 0604, or if you are hard of hearing/Deaf please text 07970 134894, or you can email salford.socialservices@nca.nhs.uk or visit Northern Care Alliance website for more information.

Access to health services

Please check the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership website here for details about how people can access primary care services and for pharmacy opening times over the Christmas and new year period.

Cost of living help

Details of what support is available across the City can be found on the Council’s Cost of Living web pages here. Residents who need extra support can also call the Spirit of Salford helpline on 0800 952 1000

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has also produced a Winter Wise booklet and conversation guide, specifically tailored to help older people across Greater Manchester. You can access those documents here:  Winterwise guide – Greater Manchester Combined Authority (greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk)

Salford Register Office

The Register Office will be closed from 4pm on Wednesday 24 December 2025. They will be offering a limited service for death registrations only on Monday 29, Tuesday 30 and Wednesday 31 December 2025.

To make an appointment to register a death, please call 0161 793 2500. For any other urgent matters only please email registeroffice@salford.gov.uk. For any non-urgent enquiries, these will be dealt with by the Council from Friday 2 January 2026.

Utilities

You should contact the relevant company directly in an emergency.

Mental health support

If you’re struggling with your mental health – feeling low, anxious, stressed or overwhelmed, or worried about someone else visit the NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership website for useful suggestions and resources to support you.

If you need mental health advice and support urgently, call the freephone 24/7 crisis helpline on NHS 111.

Suicidal thoughts are far more common than people realise and can happen for lots of different reasons. With the right help and support, your feelings will change and you can overcome your suicidal thoughts. You can call the Samaritans to talk about anything that’s bothering you on 116 123. They will listen without judging or pressure to help you work through it. The Shining a light on suicide website also has a lot of information on specialist organisations who can help.

In emergency always call 999.

National Domestic Abuse Helpline

You can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline for free and in confidence. Helpline: 0808 2000247

Galop

Galop runs the national domestic abuse helpline for members of the LGBT+ community. National helpline: 0800 999 5428

Men’s Aid

Men’s Aid provides advice and support to men who have been abused. Phone: 0333 5670556

Childline

You can contact Childline about anything. There website offers lots of different ways to access support. Helpline: 0800 1111

Citizens Advice Bureau

Citizens Advice help people find a way forward with problems that may seem complicated or intimidating. Phone: 0800 144 8848

Hourglass

Action on Elder Abuse run Hourglass, a confidential helpline providing information and support to anyone concerned about harm, abuse or exploitation of an older person. National helpline: 0808 808 8141

Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline

The Switchboard is there to help you with whatever you want to talk about. Phone: 0300 3300630

LGBT Foundation

The LGBT Foundation supports the needs of the diverse range of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans. Phone: 0345 3303030

SignHealth

SignHealth provides domestic abuse service support for deaf people in British Sign Language (BSL). Telephone: 020 3947 2601, or Text/WhatsApp/Facetime: 07970 350366

Talk Ed

Talk ED is the new name for Anorexia and Bulimia Care. They provide on-going care, emotional support and practical guidance for anyone affected by eating disorders, those struggling personally and parents, families and friends. Helpline: 03000 11 12 13

The Samaritans

You can call the Samaritans to talk about anything that’s bothering you on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org (response time: 24 hours). They will listen without judging or pressure to help you work through it.

The CALMzone

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) has a helpline and livechat. Phone 0800 585858, or if you or someone you know needs help right now, call 999.

Mind

Mind provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. Phone: 0300 1233393

Age UK

Age UK provides free information and advice to help you on topics as diverse as claiming benefits to care homes. Phone: 0800 0556112

PAPYRUS

PAPYRUS is a voluntary organisation supporting teenagers and young adults who are feeling suicidal. Helpline: 0800 068 41 41