Emmaus Bolton has received a £500 charity donation from a Cheshire housebuilder after a chance meeting at a new-build site in Haslington.
Bovis Homes – which is part of the newly-formed Vistry Group – donated the funds to Emmaus Bolton after a Bovis Homes staff member met with the director of the charity. Tony Stephenson, executive leader at Emmaus Bolton, visited the housebuilder’s Hazelmere new-build location in Haslington with his 75-year-old mother.
A Bovis Homes sales colleague spoke with Tony about Emmaus Bolton’s work to tackle homelessness and social exclusion, and the challenges faced during the lockdown.
Lou Macrae, regional marketing manager at Bovis Homes, said: “We heard of Tony’s story from our sales team who were helping his mum buy a home at our Hazelmere development in Haslington. We thought Tony was so down to earth and passionate about helping the homeless during these times. Our sales adviser was really touched by Tony and the charity and asked if we could help in some way. We’re happy to give a donation of £500 to help him replenish items desperately needed for the homeless especially in the current situation.”
Emmaus Bolton is one of 29 Emmaus communities across the UK. Each Emmaus has reuse and recycling shops across the country that have been reopening on a phased basis after closing in March due to the lockdown.
A wonderful gift
Tony added: “At Emmaus, the companions and our team are extremely proud that in normal circumstances we generate all the income the charity needs though our own hard work in our recycling businesses. We have a little in reserve to ensure that we can survive an emergency, however, no one saw this virus coming!
“Our reserves have ensured that we can keep a roof over our heads, food on our table and the bills paid but, we have had to ‘cut our cloth’ to suit the reduction in income. This wonderful gift from Bovis Homes will be used to reinstate some of the non-essential items that make the lives of those companions who live with us more pleasurable.”
Emmaus Bolton provides a home, meaningful work, training and support to people who have experienced homelessness or social exclusion. The majority of funds needed to support the charity’s work are generated by selling second-hand furniture, kitchen appliances, household goods, plants and clothing in its social enterprise.
Find out more about the Emmaus Bolton charity and social enterprise. To find out more about Bovis Homes’ Hazelmere location and others nearby, visit www.bovishomes.co.uk.