We’re incredibly grateful to have received a generous legacy gift in the form of a house that will enable us to expand our support for people experiencing homelessness and give us the opportunity to support families for the first time.
Thanks to a legacy gift from the late David Guinness of Lower Street in Stroud, who passed away in 2020, we’ll be transforming a three-bedroom Grade II listed property into much-needed social housing.
We know that leaving a gift in your will is a deeply personal decision, which is why we’re so grateful that David chose to support Emmaus Gloucestershire in such a meaningful way. David’s home will soon provide a family with safe accommodation as well as long-term stability.
Our social housing initiative honours David’s wishes, as he wanted his property to be used to support people facing homelessness and it allows us to help even more people. Currently, we can support up to 26 adults at our large communal house in Gloucester, but this new home in Stroud marks the beginning of expanding our support to families too.
We hope to complete work by the end of this year and have a family move in before Christmas
A lasting legacy
David’s close friend of 11 years, Rose Niland, said:
“David left his house to Emmaus Gloucestershire on the proviso that they didn’t sell it – he wanted it used to house homeless people, or anyone at risk of becoming homeless. Especially in his later years, David really gravitated towards disadvantaged people and supported many charities and causes. I believe he began supporting Emmaus Gloucestershire after getting to know a few homeless people and seeing their struggles first hand.”
Reflecting on David’s lasting legacy, Rose adds:
“I hope David’s gift makes a real difference to many families in the years to come. It will be lovely to see life in the house again. I have such fond memories of visiting David; when he lived there, it was such a happy place. Now it feels sad and empty. Once a family moves in, there will be joy and life there again.
“Lower Street has a strong sense of community, and a family will settle in well. There’s even a lovely little school just down the road, so the house will really suit a family with young children. I think a lot of locals are glad to see the house put to good use and David’s wishes being fulfilled.”
Close friends Rose Niland and David Guinness
A home for a family before Christmas
The house requires extensive renovation before it can become a home again. After receiving the keys in 2022, we began the lengthy process with an architect and structural engineer. We secured listed building and household planning consent, carried out bat surveys, initiated the tendering process for contractors, and are now finally ready to begin the renovations.
We hope to complete the work by the end of this year and have a family move in before Christmas.
Can you help us achieve this?
To help with the cost of renovations, we are fundraising and appealing for support from local individuals and businesses to help bring David’s vision to life.
In March, a team from MACK Residential raised more than £23,000 for our project by completing a 220-mile cycle challenge from Cheltenham to Dublin. The following month, a team from Ringway Infrastructure Services volunteered their time to clear the garden, helping prepare the site for renovation work. Support like this is invaluable and we welcome hands-on help, donations, fundraising efforts and assistance with capital building projects.
Commenting on how people can get involved, Lorraine Watson, our Operations Manager, said:
“We are incredibly grateful for David’s generosity and proud to honour his wish to provide a safe, stable home for a family in need.
“Support from local individuals and businesses, whether it’s donations, fundraising, hands-on help or assistance with capital building projects, will make all the difference in getting the house ready for a family to move in before Christmas. If anyone is interested in contributing in any way, we’d love to hear from you.”
To support our project, offer help or enquire about legacy gifts, please email [email protected] or call 01452 687057.