The Emmaus South Wales social enterprise has helped to furnish three properties in the county of Bridgend, with one house accommodating a mother and three children after they needed emergency housing following a fire at their own home.

At the request of Valley to Coast Housing (V2C), the retail team at Emmaus South Wales fully furnished two properties that will be used by families and individuals who are receiving support from V2C and are affected by coronavirus.

The furniture and household items that have been supplied to V2C for these properties is from donated stock in the five Emmaus shops in Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan, all of which are temporarily closed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

V2C is a not for profit organisation who provide and manage 5,835 homes across the county of Bridgend. The organisation offers affordable homes to rent and buy, and their mission is to provide homes in thriving communities where people feel safe.

Following the completion of the first two properties, Emmaus furnished a third property to be used as emergency housing by a mother and her three young children, who all under the age of 10. Their own home has been badly damaged by fire and the mother turned to V2C for support finding emergency housing.

Items for this property included bedroom, kitchen and living room furniture, cooking utensils, a fridge freezer, linen and a box of children’s toys and books. The majority of items were solidarity, meaning they have been donated by Emmaus South Wales, and some were paid for by V2C and will go towards supporting the work Emmaus does in helping formerly homeless people rebuild their lives.

Marc Roberts, Head of Retail at Emmaus South Wales, said:

“At Emmaus, solidarity means helping someone less fortunate than yourself and this ethos can be very valuable for our residents as it is often key to helping to rebuild self-esteem, proving that everyone has the capacity to make a difference to the lives of others. As a social enterprise, we work closely with other organisations looking to support vulnerable and marginalised people and provide discounted or donated items to them when needed. We have a long standing relationship with V2C and were more than happy to help furnish these three properties.”

Emmaus South Wales provides a home for as long as it’s needed and meaningful work for people who have experienced homelessness. There are currently 29 Emmaus communities across the UK, but Emmaus South Wales is the first and only one in Wales.

To find out more about Emmaus South Wales, visit here.