Emmaus started in France in 1949, shortly after the Second World War, when homelessness was a significant problem.
After the first Emmaus community was created in Neuilly-Plaisance, in the eastern suburbs of Paris, many more communities opened in France and the Emmaus movement grew across Europe, in the Americas and in Asia.
The growth of the movement gave rise to the gradual development of a network of organisations that met in Bern, Switzerland, in 1969 to adopt the Universal Manifesto, the founding text of the Emmaus movement. Emmaus International was set up in 1971, at the first Emmaus International Assembly, to liaise between the member organisations and coordinate their work.
Ever since the Emmaus movement began back in 1949 it has always been both secular and independent in leading its struggle to tackle the causes of poverty and exclusion. The movement defends its vision of society: a fairer and more sustainable world where people are at the heart of the system and where there is a place for everyone.
The Emmaus model was first introduced to the UK in the early 1990s. A group of founding volunteers established Emmaus Cambridge to address homelessness in the city and the community was officially opened by Sir Terry Waite.
Since the first UK community opened in 1991, Emmaus has grown quickly across the country. There are now 29 communities spread across the UK, with a further three groups currently working to establish new communities. The UK is now the country with the most Emmaus communities outside of France.
Stretching from Glasgow to Dover, Emmaus communities in the UK are able to provide a home and support to 850 Emmaus companions. No two Emmaus communities are the same – each has its own individual personality, providing services that meet the needs of its local area. Each community has at least one shop or social enterprise, with many also running successful cafés, gardening projects and house clearance services.
Today, the Emmaus movement worldwide includes more than 420 Emmaus groups, located in over 40 countries. Across four continents – Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas – Emmaus groups work every day to help the most excluded and tackle the causes of poverty.