A team of Irish builders have stunned the residents of Manchester by constructing a makeshift African township on city centre streets. Last night Volunteers erected a string of shacks across the city to highlight the urgent need for housing in South Africa.

The unusual stunt is part of a publicity drive by Irish house-building charity the Niall Mellon Township Trust. Today, founder Niall Mellon said he hoped Manchester residents would be encouraged to help improve living conditions for the 4.3 million South Africans who live in shacks, by signing up to help build new homes in the poverty-stricken country.

He said: "The emergence of shacks and a township overnight in Manchester is simply to illustrate the harsh reality of life for millions of South Africans who live without access to running water, electricity or sanitation under corrugated iron shelters measuring 9ft x 9ft.  Shack residents can remain on housing lists for 20 to 30 years, some indefinitely.”

"It's impossible not to be affected when you see people living in appalling conditions, especially little children.  I began the work of the charity after seeing the townships first hand myself.

There are many difficulties arising from living in these conditions such as leaks, cold, damp, infestations, overcrowding, poor levels of security, risk of flooding and fire which all impact negatively on the mental and physical health of residents.”

"We hope that by bringing the townships to the people of Manchester we can touch people's hearts enough to ignite their interest in the charity and hopefully help people that are far less fortunate than themselves. We want the people of Manchester to give up one week of their lives to come house building with us."

Niall Mellon's team of builders worked throughout the night to construct a string of township shelters in some of Manchester's smartest streets. The centerpiece of the project is a replica township in Albert Square outside the City Hall.

Corrugated iron shelters have also been built in other key locations, including Piccadilly Gardens, Market Street, St. Ann’s Square, Exchange Square and Cathedral Street. Tonight a team of volunteers will bed down in the shacks to experience first-hand the shocking conditions endured by millions of South Africans.

Among them will be Patrick Marmion, 30, a Niall Mellon Volunteer from Dundalk, who is based in Manchester. Patrick said: "We are under no doubt that it will be tough living rough in Manchester for a night, but we want to try and get some idea for ourselves of just how bad things are for people who live full time in these conditions in South Africa.

"Obviously we will only get a small taste of what life there is like. Living in shacks in the middle of Manchester will be a trial, but hopefully we'll get through it together as a group.  The week I spent in South Africa may have been the hardest week’s work I have ever done.  However, the experience was life-changing. The people of the township we were working with took us into their hearts and gave us the strength and will to get the job done and by the end of 7 days we had the privilege of handing over 78 brand new homes to the people of Mbekweni."

Niall Mellon's publicity drive in Manchester comes as the charity seeks to recruit 70 Volunteers from the city to join a Building Blitz next year. The Make Manchester Proud campaign is the charities first major recruitment drive outside Ireland.

Niall added: "We are delighted so many Mancunians have expressed their wish to help us on a journey to build homes for the impoverished in South Africa. Manchester has always had close links to Ireland, which is why we have selected Manchester as our first port of call to recruit Volunteers in the UK.

"This year we really want to expand our charity in the UK. We want to share our experience in working together to build new homes that will give poor families a place to live and bring up their children."

The Niall Mellon Township Trust has had over 5,500 Volunteers on their well-organised Building Blitzes.  A week-long challenge to build homes for families living in shacks in the townships of South Africa.

The charity operates a year-round house building programme in South Africa.  Since its inception in 2002 it has built nearly 12,000 houses and is the largest charity provider of quality social housing for poor families in South Africa.

To date 20 people have signed up to Make Manchester Proud.

1,000 Irish Volunteers have already signed up for the next Building Blitz. The team will travel to the township of Wallacedene near Cape Town in November.

For more information on the Manchester recruitment drive, go to www.makemanchesterproud.co.uk. For further information please contact: Karen Hession, Communications Manager, Niall Mellon Township Trust on 087 6772536 or 4948200.