We celebrated the grand opening of our new charity shop on Bath Road with a ribbon-cutting ceremony performed by the Mayor of Cheltenham, Councillor Paul Baker.
Local shoppers, along with Emmaus residents, volunteers, staff and supporters gathered on Tuesday 1 October to explore the newly designed charity shop, which offers a wide variety of affordable, high-quality second-hand goods, including furniture, clothing, books, vinyl records, electrical items, bric-a-brac, and upcycled items.
Commenting on the official opening, Mayor Paul Baker, who used to work in the building when it was NatWest, said:
“I am delighted to open the new Emmaus shop here in the vibrant Bath Road shopping area, it’s a fabulous location and bizarrely replaces the former NatWest Bank where I used to work many years ago. Emmaus is a fabulous local charity providing accommodation for the homeless, offering them employment opportunities and of course collecting, renovating and selling fabulous second hand goods from vintage clothing to jewellery, electrical appliances to furniture. I wish them every success.”
Return to Cheltenham
This new shop marks our return to Cheltenham following the closure of our Henrietta Street location in 2021. Paul Newman, who previously managed the old Emmaus shop in Cheltenham, has returned as shop manager, and said:
“It’s wonderful to be back with Emmaus Gloucestershire and even more exciting to see our charity return to Cheltenham. We’re thrilled to be part of the Bath Road community, offering high-quality, affordable items to local residents while supporting our mission to help people out of homelessness. The support we’ve had from local shoppers and the warm welcome back has been amazing. It really shows how much this community cares about sustainable living and helping people in need.”
New work experience for companions
We provide a home, tailored support, and work opportunities for people who have experienced homelessness. Through our five shops, we generate income to fund our services and by providing work experience in retail, upcycling, and logistics, we help people gain the skills and confidence needed to move forward.
Martin, who has been supported by our charity since 2019, moved to Emmaus Gloucestershire after spending a few months street homeless and three months in rehab. Since joining Emmaus Gloucestershire, Martin has a home for as long as he needs it and has learnt how to read, gained his PAT testing qualification, and is currently learning to drive. Martin attended the official opening and said:
“I’m excited for a new challenge in our Cheltenham shop. I am going to be helping on the shopfloor and with our eBay store in the backroom. Our opening day was so busy, I served more than 30 customers in the first hour! The new shop is really nice, welcoming and has a friendly atmosphere. I’m excited to welcome new and regular customers to the new shop and thank them for their support.”
Special guests
Joining us for our grand opening were some very special guests, including trustees, supporters, donors, corporate partners, and contractors. We were also joined by upcycler Zoe of mucknbrass, Sarah of thecotswoldcharityshopper, Lewis of ginnylemon69 plus friend Kim.
Visit us
We welcome shoppers, volunteers, and donations of good quality items to help continue our mission of supporting people out of homelessness. Our new Emmaus shop is located at 147 – 151 Bath Road, Cheltenham GL53 7PP and is open seven days a week from 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.