Steve Pearson joined us as a decorating and maintenance volunteer in February 2022, after retiring from working in the City of London for 30 years. Steve and his wife Liza will be supporting us by taking part in the St Albans Sleepout in November.
I was lucky enough to be able to retire from paid work in 2021 and I was keen to do something in the community with people who were less fortunate than me. I have always been concerned about the plight of homeless people and I initially went into the Emmaus shop on St Albans High Street to see if I could help at all. I was put in contact with Gemma (our Business Development Manager) and I offered to do maintenance work, if it was needed. Gemma was brilliant and she made it very easy to come on board.
I work when it’s needed, but generally one day a week. My wife, Liza, also volunteers for a charity so we both agreed we would work on Tuesdays and also whenever we could when our respective charities needed our help. Some weeks I’m not needed and other weeks I will do two days. It’s whatever works for both sides.
I like to use my practical skills to fix things. Since working at Emmaus, I’ve repaired lots of things, from door locks to lights. I’ve unblocked sinks, fixed leaking baths and showers and of course, there’s always plenty of decorating to do!
I’ve always been troubled by the plight of homeless people and having the chance to work with a charity which helps and supports people facing this challenge is very rewarding. I love the model of Emmaus, in that all the companions (the name given to people supported by the charity) are part of the social enterprise – making valuable contributions to either the running of business or the functioning of the community. It’s not a “donate and hope” charity, the impact it has is very evident to me.
I also love chatting with the companions and hearing about what they’re doing at Emmaus. I especially like it when I get to work with the companions and to understand more about them.
Previous career and lifelong love of DIY
I spent over 30 years working in the City of London. I was a partner in a large accounting firm, PwC. I used to advise companies that had financial difficulties. I was heavily involved in managing the insolvency of Lehman Brothers and in working with the government when Northern Rock was in difficulty.
My dad was an electrician and taught me lots of practical skills. I always loved fixing things and I’ve always done lots of DIY. When I retired as an accountant, I wanted to do something completely different. I’d spent lots of time working in an office so I decided to look for a role that would allow me to use my practical skills. My role at Emmaus is perfect, very different from my former life, but just as satisfying.
Why I’d recommend volunteering to others
Volunteering is very personal. I know how lucky I am and that others are not as fortunate as me. I find that working with an organisation that changes people’s lives is very rewarding and I’d recommend it to anyone. I think that we’re all only a few steps away from needing help from others and it’s our responsibility as citizens to try and be there for others when we can be, however modest our contribution may be.
I live in Harpenden, but I’m originally from a small village in the Midlands. I’m married to Liza (pictured with Steve below), and we have three grown-up children. I’m an avid Aston Villa fan – Duncan (CEO of Emmaus Hertfordshire) and I are always sharing stories about either Spurs or Villa.
Liza and I also love travelling. Our most recent trip was to Colombia, which was fascinating! I’m also trying to learn Spanish, which is lots of fun and it came in very handy in Colombia.
St Albans Sleepout
There’s a great saying that you should never judge anyone until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. The Sleepout is a chance to very briefly experience what it must be like to have nowhere to sleep. Hopefully it will increase my empathy with those I work with at Emmaus and more generally. I’d encourage anyone who wants to get a different perspective on life to come and get involved. After all, what’s there to lose?