We’re incredibly excited to announce that Emmaus Coventry & Warwickshire is now 30 years old!
Since opening our doors in 1993, Emmaus Coventry & Warwickshire has grown considerably. We provide a home and meaningful work for 17 people who have experienced homelessness and social exclusion. Some stay for a while as they gain confidence and skills before they are ready to move on to independent living, while others are in need of longer-term support and are able to stay for as long as they need to. Those being supported help to run our social enterprises, including a second-hand furniture shop on Coventry’s Red Lane, to help fund the charity’s work.
We’re kicking off our anniversary celebrations with a special day on Saturday 9 September 2023. Representatives from our charity will start the day by getting active: companions, staff and volunteers will join together to run 5km, as part of the ParkRun event in War Memorial Park in Coventry. Everyone is welcome to join as we get moving to celebrate our 30th birthday.
We’ll then be hosting a special BBQ party at our community home, the Old Vicarage (so we’re keeping fingers crossed the sun shines that day!).
30 years ago – a homelessness charity in the making…
When we opened our doors for the first time in April 1993, Emmaus Coventry & Warwickshire was one of the first Emmaus communities to open in the UK.
Local man Tim Brooke first heard of Emmaus when he was a student volunteering for the charity in France. Fast forward to 1992, as the organisation branched out to the UK, Tim decided to gather local support from the Coventry Council of Churches Homelessness Commission to establish an Emmaus in his local area.
Tim was then a trustee at Emmaus Coventry & Warwickshire for many years:
“In the early days our first job was the big task of finding a building and hiring staff.
“In fact it took us only four months to find a building – quite an achievement! I have always been very excited about the idea of Emmaus; it’s not just an ordinary homelessness charity. We don’t just give people a bed for the night, we give them a reason to get out of it.”
The Old Vicarage (our community accommodation building) is one of the oldest buildings in Coventry with parts of it probably dating back to the 15th century.
Our first Coventry charity shop opened in 1993, raising vital funds for the community. It has changed premises a few times and our main store, specialising in furniture and household goods, is now located on Red Lane in Coventry.
Help us celebrate
We’d love our charity’s 30th anniversary to be a bumper year of fundraising and local support.
There are so many ways that you can help Emmaus Coventry & Warwickshire to thrive: find out how you can support us.
Thanks so much to all our supporters and everyone who has made our first 30 years so special: together, we’ve helped so many people who have face homelessness, to rebuild their lives.