“I like the care and compassion I see at Emmaus. We just want to get the Emmaus name out there and raise as much as we can to help vulnerable families and people locally.”
Jenni Hayward is the Sales Supervisor of our shop in the Potteries Centre, Hanley. She joined us in January 2024.
I used to work with the Shop Manager Tish for six years in a previous job for local hospice charity, Dougie Mac. She knew I’d be a good fit for Emmaus when this opportunity arose, so she approached me about it and I joined soon after.
Tish made a lot of positive changes to the shop before I arrived in January and I’ve continued with this work since joining, using my background and experience in retail. It’s also a flexible role for me as I live within walking distance of the shop, so it’s very convenient if Tish has no one in on a particular day, I can come in if needed.
What drew you to Emmaus?
Knowing Tish – she told me about this opportunity – and trusting her decision. And also because I have a really personal life story with drugs and alcohol; my son Daniel has struggled with addiction, both alcohol and drugs. He is now 43 and seven months clean, so things are looking very positive, thanks to getting the support he needed.
He was helped by a sponsor using the 12-Step Programme for people with addictions. It’s now all about getting back into normal life again, when the issues can start all over again and relapse often happens. His sponsor helped organise a college course for him which is really good; he has completed his level 1 in welding and in September is starting level 2. He used to live in what they call a halfway house, where they provide the accommodation and support, but he’s now moved up a step to a different house and more independent living as he’s been doing so well. He still volunteers for the organisation in Birmingham three to four days per week driving other residents when they are moving to different houses etc.
That extra support to bring him back into normal life is making all the difference. There’s no point having somewhere to live without attending meetings with other people in recovery, without that support, without that encouragement.
Wonderful organisation
Emmaus is known to me down in London because a lot of people went from the drug and alcohol recovery charity in Birmingham, which my son was in, into Emmaus after they were clean. So I know of Emmaus and what a wonderful organisation it can be for people like my son. I’ve got two daughters too. Adele and Charlotte, who are both HCAs (Health Care Assistants) and both live locally.
It’s great to bring my skills here from both my retail and charity backgrounds and I also like the care and compassion I see at Emmaus. It’s also a relaxed and personal working environment – some places you work have lots of departments and conflicting interests, but you work as one team here, which is lovely. All I have to do is run something by Tish who either agrees or doesn’t. John, the Chief Executive, is very supportive of Tish, so we’re all on the same page. We just want to get the Emmaus name out there and raise as much as we can to help vulnerable families and people locally.
I just want to continue bringing that newness to the role and see the shop continue to improve and thrive – we’re already noticing the difference with sales and we’re all very excited to see things moving in a positive direction. We’ve got that buzz coming into work which is great!
