The hostel was set up by former nun Brigid Murphy in 1970. Previously working at a school for young offenders in Manchester, Brigid was concerned that too many pupils were leaving education with nowhere safe to call home. She realised that they were sometimes ending up on the streets or turning to drugs and alcohol to survive. She used government grants and her own resources to open Contact, and It has been running successfully and providing a safe shelter for young women from around Manchester ever since. Brigid died in 2005 but her great work and legacy live on at Contact.