Emmaus Salford’s Community Store has been broken into, and several items of value, including a tablet used on the till, have been stolen.
The break-in happened on the night of 25 March 2023, and the incident has been reported to the police, who are investigating. This isn’t the charity’s first brush with burglary, since 2020 there have been three incidents in which thieves have stolen much-needed items.
Chief Executive, Jackie Smith said: “We were very saddened to find our Community Homestore had been broken into overnight. The store supports our community, providing work skills for the people we support and invaluable income directly going to the running of our charity.
“The store connects directly to our homelessness community. Residents who live here, known as companions, have often already lived through very challenging circumstances and have come to us to find stability and security. The break-in not only affected our income but also created a lot of unnecessary chaos and impacted the mental health of some of our companions. We only hope that this act was driven by a desperate need to support themselves and others, as the ethos of Emmaus is always to help the most in need. We remain resilient and determined to continue our work, undeterred and supporting the Salford community.”
The stolen tablet, which was used to process purchases and collect data, is a huge inconvenience to the charity who are left struggling without it. A Laptop and two televisions were also stolen on the night.
To find out more about Emmaus Salford and make a donation to help cover the costs of replacing the stolen tablet, please visit: https://emmaus.org.uk/salford/support-us/donate