My name is Andrew Kilburn. I became a trustee at Emmaus Mossley in 2011 and I became Chair of Trustees in 2019.
I joined the Board of Trustees as I’d finished full time work the previous year and was looking for a project that I felt I could make a contribution to and seemed, to me, to be doing important work. Over the years, I visited Emmaus Mossley and had bought a few things and donated a few things. But beyond that, I didn’t know a great deal about it at all. Like for everybody, it’s a bit of a learning curve.
When I started as a trustee, it seemed to me that there was a huge amount going on. What I hadn’t understood was that there was the individual project in Mossley, then a federation of projects throughout the country, Europe, and internationally. There was a lot to take in once I started to get to know the organisation. At first, it was clear that there was a lot to do here in Mossley. Very soon after I arrived on the board, we appointed a new Chief Executive, Ali, and a number of other staff members over the following years.
I then became Chair of Trustees in 2019. Initially, I had no wish to be the Chair, but it’s been great – I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Over time, the place has changed enormously. There was a huge amount to do at first, but that’s not unusual. The nature of these organisations is that they don’t stand still. I wasn’t phased by the task, but I was conscious that this was quite an interesting piece of work.
Moving forward and making a difference
Watching the place grow and develop is the thing I have enjoyed the most. Also, seeing the impact we have on people’s lives in terms of the opportunities we provide for companions. What brought me to the project in the first place is the sense that you could actually make a difference in those sorts of areas. It’s great to see the growth from the point at which they arrive here, to finding their role and becoming more confident.
I‘ve loved watching the building be refurbished and new designs constantly appearing – much like our warehouse project. We’re constantly asking, ‘what’s the next thing?’ Something incredible about Emmaus Mossley is that the standard and almost cliched role of trustees is to ‘encourage and challenge’, but the staff team challenge themselves. If you get the right people, the right culture and the right attitude, you can make a lot of difference.
The mill was once a redundant building, and it is now a vibrant and active part of Mossley. It’s almost hard to imagine that this never existed. I’d love to see it grow even more. I just love the occasions when we fill the place, such as the Big Lunches, Mossley SOUP or the big annual Christmas events. The atmosphere is terrific and it makes you really appreciate what Emmaus means to people in Mossley. We provide an important set of services for people and we’re increasingly becoming a centre of activity that the cafe is integral to.
Taking action and embracing change
In terms of challenges, we go through different periods. Nobody anticipated the challenges that COVID-19 would give us and it was a real learning point, but we worked our way through it. I became Chair and not long after, the pandemic began. As trustees, we felt that we ought not to take in any new companions to avoid putting our existing community at risk. But when companions heard about that, they said no, as there were people who were in need and if we had room, we should take the risk. After hearing this, we reconsidered, and it was really important that we listened and acted.
Most people’s experience of homelessness is when they walk through a city centre and see people in shop doorways, surrounded by their sleeping bag, and that’s the extent and limit of people’s exposure to the issue. When you start to dig deeper beneath that, you realise that we’re all in a position where we are two or three bad decisions or unlucky events away from it happening to us. People have a perception of what a homeless person is, and it’s so far from the truth and I have experienced that growth of understanding. Emmaus has changed in that respect too, as we increasingly have a much more diverse group of companions.
The philosophy within Emmaus overall is just so important. As a community, we can recognise that we have our problems and difficulties, but that there are always other people in need. The involvement in solidarity and the work that we do locally, nationally and internationally is a very important element of who we are. Solidarity means action, it means doing something about it, and that’s what we’re about.
What the future holds
I completed my term of service as Chair in 2025 and ’d like to wish all the best to Keith, the new Chair of Trustees. My message to him is that he’s very lucky. He’s joining a great organisation and he’s got a really good staff team and bunch of trustees. Being a part of Emmaus, he will get a huge amount of satisfaction… and I know that’s why he wanted to join us in the first place.
Finally, to our supporters, I will say, keep working with us. I encourage you to continue to recognise our value to the community, support us, and get involved in the things we do. You play an invaluable role in the growth of Emmaus Mossley. Thank you.