Sister Rita to the Rescue

Series following a unique troubleshooter as she battles to improve the lives of residents of one of the poorest parts of Manchester. Sister Rita's unusual approach has given her a reputation for being able to take on any problem. The issues she and her team tackle - whether troubles with benefits, debt, or finding work - are replicated in countless communities across the country.

In this episode, Sister Rita has to act fast when it seems not everyone coming to her food bank genuinely needs its help. As the team offer assistance to those who need support and advice but aren't sure where or how to get it, some of the solutions offer life-changing results.

As Sister Rita continues her mission to change the lives of the people who most need her help, she finds herself thrust onto the national stage when she takes her views right to the top, and has an unexpected result. Her drop-in centre is chosen to pilot a new government scheme, but as she weighs up how it will benefit the community, has the no-nonsense nun bitten off more than she can chew? Plus the team at the Lalley helps visitors unravel how to understand their benefits and a woman fighting the system needs assistance to get her life back on track.

As she celebrates her 50th year as a nun, Sister Rita battles to resolve the sort of issues seen in hundreds of neighbourhoods across the country, cutting through the red tape to sort things in her own unique way. In this episode she tries to help even more people in her area by tackling loneliness, but her attempts to start a friendship club for residents don't get off to the best start. Never one to give up, the nun hatches a plan to bring the locals together, and as she's reminded of the importance of community, she retraces her own roots, revisiting the family and places she grew up with. Meanwhile, as the team finds solutions for people needing advice and support, there's help for one of the food bank regulars when the true extent of his problems is revealed.

As they try to achieve success on a wider scale, the Lalley Centre staff try to encourage locals to take pride in their neighbourhood with an anti-littering campaign. But things don't go to plan. Volunteers at the centre reveal why they give up their time to help, and the team helps a couple forced to adjust to a dramatic change in fortunes when illness leads to both of them having to give up their jobs.

Sister Rita steps up her mission to improve the lives of people in the community who need help, as the run-up to Christmas provides new challenges and opportunities to make a difference. A regular visitor to the Lalley Centre has a welcome change in his fortunes, and Sister Rita marks her 50th year as a nun in a characteristically unusual way. As the team comes together to mark its achievements, there's a final push to spread some festive cheer throughout the area.