Emmaus Hertfordshire

Emmaus Hertfordshire is a homelessness charity with a difference. We don’t just give people a bed for the night; we offer a home for as long as someone needs it, meaningful work, and a sense of belonging in our community, based in St Albans. Our charity supports and accommodates up to 39 people, from a variety of backgrounds, who have experienced homelessness. No matter what the individual’s issues that have led to them becoming homeless are, we work hard to provide residents with the very best support alongside meaningful employment opportunities and training to enable them to move on positively, and back into the community. For many people who have experienced homelessness, losing their self-esteem can be the most damaging part of their experience. Being on your own, with no support around you can be soul destroying, leaving you feeling worthless. Emmaus gives companions, as we call our residents, the opportunity to take stock of their lives, deal with any issues they might have, and often re-establish relationships with loved ones.

Social enterprise is an integral part of community life as it provides meaningful work experience opportunities for companions, but it also helps us to generate the majority of our income (currently around 75% of our running costs). Companions help to run all aspects of our social enterprise, giving them the opportunity to develop and gain new skills. Contributing to the community they are living in also helps develop confidence and rebuild self-esteem. Our main business activity is collecting donated furniture and household goods and selling them in one of our four shops across Hertfordshire. We also run a house clearance business and a community workshop where items are restored, upcycled or created. All our social enterprises are run by companions, giving them a chance to be creative, develop new skills and build self-confidence, eventually supporting them back into work.
We believe in social justice for all through solidarity, and as such collaboration is at the heart of what we do. We actively work to forge strong partnerships with other local organisations that work in three ways – they ensure our companions have access to the right specialist support and additional development opportunities, they allow us to extend our support to as many socially excluded and vulnerable people as possible, and they give our companions the opportunity to discover a sense of purpose by volunteering their time to help those most in need.