Emmaus North Staffs welcomed VIP guests along with local businesses and organisations for the launch of our huge superstore – which is being hailed as the biggest charity shop in the UK.
On Thursday 20 November, more than 50 guests visited us at our new megastore in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.
Sir Terry Waite CBE, who is President of the national homelessness charity Emmaus UK, gave a heartfelt talk about the charity along with Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, Cllr Lyn Sharpe, following an opening introduction by our Executive Lead, John Webbe.
As well as a deep insight into our work, particular mention was made of our Beds for Kids campaign, which launched in 2022 after seeing an increase in demand from families struggling to provide basic essentials for the home.
Sir Terry Waite said: “Emmaus North Staffs have done great work in opening their large shop – which is said to potentially be the largest in the country.
“No-one should be without basic comforts for their home, and I myself have experienced sleeping on a floor when I was in captivity. It’s not fair for anyone who loses their home through no fault of their own, and people need support.
“I also find it staggering that there are around 9,000 children in North Staffordshire who do not have a bed of their own. Emmaus North Staffs are working so hard to help families by providing more children with a bed through their Beds for Kids campaign.
“It has been great to be a part of the launch event and I will continue to support as much as I can.”
John Webbe, Exec Lead at Emmaus North Staffs, said: “Everyone at Emmaus North Staffs has been working really hard in getting our new base ready – which is around 60,000 square feet – and the largest charity shop in the country where we have everything now in one place.
“It was so good to see so many people come out and join us for our big launch event. We cannot say thank you enough for Sir Terry Waite for joining us as well as the Lord Mayor, other local businesses and organisations. We will now continue to push forward in supporting more local people and our plans to bring a whole new Emmaus North Staffs community to the area are firmly set and underway.”
At the event, guests were also treated to a performance from Staffordshire Community Choir. The choir’s founder, Ashley Mellor, said: “It’s been fabulous to be a part of the launch and to support John and Emmaus North Staffs after hearing stories about children not having a bed – which is awful – we wanted to support the launch as much as we could.”
Emmaus North Staffs supports around 850 local households each year by supplying furniture items to those who cannot afford them. This can include beds, sofas, chairs and appliances.
Our new store is open to the public six days a week.