Many people and organisations have helped to establish Emmaus Merseyside. This concise timeline provides a snapshot of key milestones in the development of our charity, community and social enterprise.
2002 – A group of people are brought together by Margaret Riley to talk about setting up an Emmaus community in Merseyside.
2004 – Emmaus Merseyside is created as a registered homelessness charity.
2012 – After a long and unsuccessful search for suitable premises in Liverpool, attention switches to Sefton.
2012/13 – A successful bid is made to the Homes and Communities Agency for a grant towards a new project with Cosmopolitan Housing Association.
2013 – Cosmopolitan Housing experiences financial difficulties and as a result, closes its development programme. Emmaus establishes a new partnership arrangement with The Riverside Group.
2014 – In March, work starts on site at School Lane, Seaforth to construct the new residential premises for Emmaus Merseyside.
2014 – In June, the 7,000 sq. ft. Emmaus Merseyside Charity Superstore in Seaforth opens for business.
2015 – Emmaus Merseyside becomes part of the Emmaus UK federation; remaining independent and separately constituted from the international Emmaus movement, but benefiting from a significant body of evaluation work, experience, support and advice.
2015 – Emmaus Merseyside was shortlisted for the prestigious Liverpool Echo Environment Awards.
2016 – Our charitable activities further expand with the opening of two further Re-Use Shops in partnership with Veolia Environmental Services Ltd, on the site of Household Waste Recycling Centres in Bootle and Liverpool.
2016 – In June, our new purpose-built 28 bedroom accommodation facility opens and we welcome our first companions.
2017 – In May, the Mayor of Sefton opens our Participation Garden and Seaforth Green, created from an unsightly, derelict area adjacent to our Seaforth accommodation.
2017 – In October, we host an official opening ceremony to celebrate the support given by a wide range of organisations, charities and individuals to helping Emmaus Merseyside reach this important stage in its life as an Emmaus community.
2017 – In November, Emmaus Merseyside wins an Environmental Impact Award at the Liverpool & Sefton Chambers of Commerce Responsible Business Awards.
2018 – In April we won the Re-use and Waste Prevention Award at the prestigious ECHO Environment Awards 2018.
2019 – In June, the Seaforth Green public space, located next to the Emmaus Merseyside community building, was awarded a Green Flag Community Award.
2021 – Nigel Mellor, a pioneer of our charity and former chair of trustees, was awarded an MBE for services to homeless and disadvantaged people.
2022 – If February, our volunteers made the final shortlist in the Steve Morgan Foundation 20th Anniversary Awards.
2022 – In July, our gardening team exhibited plants and produce at the Ainsdale Summer Show, their first flower show, and scooped multiple category awards.
Find out more about the history of the Emmaus movement and of Emmaus in the UK.