A heartfelt thank you to our long-term partners Willmott Dixon whose workshops and donation of laptops are helping our companions forge careers and independent lives.
The Letchworth-based construction company has been running workshops for our companions to rebuild their confidence and provide career guidance and job-related support to help get them onto the career ladder.
And to help ensure they have ready access to creating up-to-date CVs, job opportunities and online tools, the company also donated a suite of five laptops.
“Incredibly grateful”
Our delighted Chief Executive, Duncan Lewis, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Willmott Dixon for the generous donation of five laptops to our St Albans Community.
“These will enable our formerly homeless companions to engage with online training and development and will help them with exploring career options and applying for jobs, which is a critical step for them in regaining their independence.
“With so many other day-to-day running costs to be met, it is always difficult for a small charity to justify investment in new IT kit, so a donation like this is really welcome and makes a huge difference.”
“Important life skills and experiences”
Social value manager at Willmott Dixon, Natalie Sidey, said: “These are decent people from good backgrounds who need support to appreciate their own value.
“One of the key concerns is their lack of self-confidence. Life has dealt them a difficult hand to play and we want to work with them to support their personal growth. Their experiences at Emmaus can be used in the real world, but it isn’t easy for them.”
Natalie also highlighted the stigma around homelessness, saying many employers won’t even consider interviewing someone without a home. However, she stressed that our companions have important life skills and experiences that can be beneficial to organisations.
‘Purpose Beyond Profit’
The first session was attended by Annie Brewster, Hertfordshire’s High Sheriff.
She said: “It was quite wonderful to watch Natalie with the Emmaus companions, starting a journey to help them create their next chapters as part of Hertfordshire’s fabulous national award-winning construction company Willmott Dixon’s ‘Purpose Beyond Profit’ ethos.”
Future sessions have been planned where mock interviews will be held to give the companions a taste of what they can expect when applying for jobs.
Natalie Sidey said: “We want them to build their own brand, and support them with developing CVs to give them the confidence to prepare for a life away from Emmaus.”
Our charity is part of a national network of 29 communities across the UK, supporting more than 850 people who have experienced homelessness. Our model is unique in the homelessness sector in that we not only provide people with a home and shelter, but encourage them to gain new skills through our social enterprises.
Our community support manager, Harley Scott said: “This collaboration is a fantastic example of how partnerships can create meaningful pathways towards independence and long-term employment.”