A December League One home fixture will highlight the national work of Emmaus UK and the Emmaus community in Bolton.
Bolton Wanderers fans will have the chance to learn more about the work of Emmaus communities in the UK at a special Sky Bet League One match on Saturday December 16.
Spectators will have the opportunity to find out more about Emmaus and to make a donation Emmaus UK and Emmaus Bolton. Not only will Emmaus’s logo feature across the stadia screens and LEDs, the matchday programme also features Michael, who experienced street homelessness before coming to Emmaus.
The brilliant opportunity has come about thanks to Victorian Plumbing, who selected Emmaus UK as their charity of the year. Victorian Plumbing, which is also a partner of Bolton Wanderers football club, will hand over their usual matchday branding assets to Emmaus.
Emmaus UK was also put forward by Victorian Plumbing for Bolton Wanderers’ third shirt to help raise awareness of Emmaus’s work across England, Wales and Scotland.
Emmaus Bolton will have a presence at the stadium’s Wellbeing Hub, where visitors will be able to take part in family games, including a snowball toss, giant Jenga and buzz wire, as well as a raffle.
Director of Emmaus Bolton, Tony Stephenson, said: “We are grateful to Bolton Wanderers in the Community for providing this opportunity for Emmaus to share what fans can do to help.
“Emmaus Bolton provides a home for people who have been homeless and a food bank for people in need. Thanks to the supporters of the Club’s charity, who have already been busy collecting basic essentials that we can share with local families in need.”
Christmas can be a challenging time for people as household bills are on the rise, the cost of food is going up and relationships can take the strain. Across England there has been a 6.8% increase in the number of households threatened with homelessness, or who are already homeless in England.
Tony added: “Thank you to Bolton Wanderers in the Community for helping to raise awareness, not just of what Emmaus Bolton is doing locally but what other Emmaus communities are doing across the UK to help people rebuild lives from homelessness and social isolation. We hope Bolton and away fans coming from across the country take what they’ve learned home, so they can support their local Emmaus community.”
Deputy CEO of Bolton Wanderers in the Community, Ben Lawton, said: “We are thrilled to be working alongside Emmaus Bolton in a collaborative effort to make a lasting impact on the lives of individuals in our community.
“Football has the power to bring people together, and by joining forces with Emmaus Bolton, we can extend our reach and support to those who need it the most. Together, we aim to create positive change and inspire others to get involved in community initiatives.
“We’d also like to thank Victorian Plumbing for providing the platform for the initiative, which will help support Lucie’s Pantry and the wonderful work of Emmaus Bolton.’’
People at the match will be able to donate to Emmaus Bolton and Emmaus UK at donations points throughout the ground, with volunteers from Suez and Bolton College assisting on the day.