Emmaus North East, is opening a new community launderette to help people struggling with the rising cost of living. In recent polls, both washing machines and tumble dryers were in the top five list of the most expensive household appliances to run.
The community launderette known as Lucie’s Laundry is named after Lucie Coutaz, female co-founder of the Emmaus movement. The launderette will open to members of the public from 28 February. It will operate between the hours of 10 am – 4 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays each week. Lucie’s Laundry will be completely free to anyone who needs to use it and customers will be required to pre-book a slot prior to use.
Emmaus North East received a donation of six washing machines from multinational consumer goods company, Procter & Gamble, which has enabled them to launch the project.
Graeme Taylor, a Senior Scientist at Procter & Gamble said:
“At P&G, we’re committed to being a force for growth so that we can be a force for good in the communities in which we live and work. Citizenship is at the heart of our business and fundamental to everything we do. We have strong roots in innovation across the North East and are delighted that we are able to offer our support to such a worthwhile cause through this donation as part of our broader work to make a difference in our local communities.”
Lucie’s Laundry is situated at 430 Dean Road, South Shields, NE33 5LP, in a building provided by Riverside Housing, one of the leading registered providers of social housing in the UK. They are providing the building free of charge, as well as covering the cost of utility bills.
Sarah Mitten, Community Planning & Resilience Manager at Riverside, said:
“At Riverside, we always try and go beyond just being a landlord by working in partnership to support communities to become more resilient.
Given how the cost-of-living crisis is affecting all of us, the idea of Lucie’s Laundry was a fantastic one that we knew could make a difference. So we were delighted to continue our partnership with Emmaus North East to make this new project happen.
Through our Let’s Talk campaign and our Helping Hand Fund and Community Fund, funded by the Riverside Foundation, we’ve given back almost £750,000 to individuals and community projects across our communities this year alone.”
Lucie’s Laundry will be run by staff and those being supported by Emmaus North East, and have plans to use the space to also provide a warm bank for anyone who needs to use it, with free access to hot drinks and a computer.
A key element of the Emmaus North East’s work is giving those they support the chance to help others who are also in need. The charity says participating in community projects is often key to helping rebuild self-esteem, for someone who has experienced homelessness.
Ruth Parker, Chief Executive of Emmaus North East said:
“Emmaus North East is delighted to be working with Riverside Housing and Procter and Gamble to open Lucie’s Laundry on 28 February. We have recognised the need for warm spaces to be created due to the cost-of-living crisis and have listened to the community around us. People will be able to book appointments to clean and dry their laundry free of charge and also join us for a hot drink whilst they are there. We are hoping this makes a real difference to the people in South Tyneside and demonstrates Emmaus North East’s commitment to solidarity and making a difference in the local area.”