On Sunday 8th and Monday 9th delegates from Emmaus SLC travelled up to Leicestershire for the Emmaus Assembly 2023.
The Assembly was opened by Charlotte Talbott, the CEO of Emmaus UK. Charlotte addressed the significant progress Emmaus UK has made since the previous assembly, the importance of uniting to fight against social injustices, and addressing the poor state of the current housing system in the UK and the need to change it.
Over 200 Emmaus delegates attended the assembly and were given the option of choosing from numerous workshops across three sessions. These workshops were conducted by representatives from Emmaus UK as well as other Emmaus communities, and covered topics within the Emmaus ethos and the homelessness sector including sustainability, brand identity, what it means to be a Companion and more.
Following the workshops, various guest speakers discussed the importance of fighting for change and what we can all do to achieve it. Guest speakers included:
· Carina Aaltonen – President of Emmaus Europe
· Anais Gournay – Head of Advocacy at Emmaus International
· Pierre Makhlouf of Bail for Immigration Detainees
· Wayne Hemingway and Maria Chenoweth, the co-founders of Charity Super.Mkt
The Assembly concluded with an inspiring speech delivered by Sir Terry Waite, the president of Emmaus UK. He discussed his experience of being held in captivity and how this can be related to the struggles of those who have been affected by homelessness.
It was the first Assembly for one of our delegates, Neil, our Community Support Worker. Speaking on his experience he said:
“As a new member to the Emmaus team, it was a great opportunity to see the whole federation and speak to Companions from different communities. It was also exciting to see the plans Emmaus has for the future”.
Also present was Andy, who has attended many Emmaus Assemblies before. He said:
“It was a good couple of days where we got together as a national body. The workshops were very informative, and it was good to meet other staff companions and trustees from across the federation”.
Overall, the Assembly was a very successful trip, and we look forward to next year!