I came to Emmaus South Wales in January 2023. I was very anxious at first but fitted in straight away and was welcomed into the community with open arms.
I left prison in October 2022 and was put on tag. I didn’t have any plans for my future and started having trouble back home in the valleys. I didn’t want to be recalled and thought the best option for me was to have a fresh start by moving away somewhere that I could be supported.
Probation contacted Emmaus South Wales and I was invited to view the community in Bridgend and meet with the Support Team. I was then told that I could move in straight away so arrived after Christmas.
I’m originally from a small town and everyone knows me there. Emmaus South Wales has given me the opportunity for a fresh start. Here, I have a routine by going to work in the social enterprises and I’ve made new friends. I’ve found a new purpose in life and get up every day instead of lying in bed sleeping and going out drinking at night like I was before Emmaus.
Gaining new skills and confidence
When new companions arrive at Emmaus, they are given a few days to settle in before doing an induction. I had a day working with another companion Angela and I helped her clean the house and prepare food for the other companions when they got back from the shops. We’ve got three shops: our superstore in Bridgend, another on Caroline Street and one in Porthcawl. New companions get to work in all the shops to begin with to see which one suits us best, so I’ve had experience with all three.
I liked the superstore best, so I’m usually based there now. I’ve learnt how to use the till, answer the phone to book in collections and deliveries, sort donations, do pricing and rearrange stock so it looks good. I love answering the phone and everyone laughs now because when it rings, I run for it!
In the past, I’ve worked in Savers or in roles stocking the shelves or in the backroom. At Emmaus, I’ve grown more confident talking to customers and working with the public. I also help on the van doing the collections and deliveries too. I enjoy getting out and about seeing different parts of Wales that I’ve never been to before.
Most recently, Lucie the Porthcawl Land Train started running again so I was trained up on that too. I volunteer in my spare time at Blaenavon Heritage Railway, but working on Lucie the Land Train was brand new for me. I remember seeing it when I was on holiday in Porthcawl last summer. I never thought I would be working on it! As a train guard, I handle all the customer service. I take card payments, direct passengers on board, and make sure everyone is safely seated and the doors are locked ready for departure.
We have new companions coming in all the time. When it’s their turn to start learning the ropes, I’ll be the one training them up like I was trained. It’s a really good feeling to learn something new and be able to pass it on.
A sense of community and making friends
I’ve settled in well at Emmaus South Wales and I’ve made new friends. Me and a few of the other boys have a good bond and a group called the Diamond Dogs. It’s me, Jack, Darren, James, and Rich. We spend most evenings in the lounge watching a series, documentary, or film together or have a chat and play a game of pool. Myself, Jack and James have recently started doing workouts too. Every Thursday, we also have a movie night or do an activity with Angela, the Support Worker, and we do bigger activities monthly like bowling.
I eat all my meals in the community with everyone and take part in doing the dishes. It can be a lot sometimes as there’s about 17 of us! Some companions work in the kitchen and they get a hot meal ready for us when we get back from the shops, which we all enjoy.
A recent outing we had was to Cardiff University to see the FareShare photography exhibition. We get a food delivery from FareShare every Tuesday so it was good to be invited. We had a look around the gallery and found out more about FareShare and the other charities they support. A lot of people were going up to James, another companion, because his photo was in the exhibition!
Mental health support
Another thing Emmaus South Wales has helped me with is my mental health and we have monthly support sessions.
I was on tag when I first got here and when it came off, I went out on a mad one. I was feeling depressed and the next week, the Support Team here arranged for me to go to the mental health department at the hospital. From there, I was referred to Wales Mental Health Matters and have now joined some of the different groups they offer like music, board games and art. I try to go whenever I can and working in the shops and on the vans helps too because it keeps me busy.
The Support Team has also referred me to get drug and alcohol support because I was drinking a lot before Emmaus. I’m having telephone appointments at the moment, which is helping. The doctors ring me often and I’m on medication now to help my mental health and sleeping.
Funding for wellbeing and training
Emmaus is also great for helping with wellbeing and training. We can apply for something called the Emmaus UK Companion Training Fund for anything that helps our wellbeing or for different training courses. I got my gym membership card recently thanks to the funding. It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to go to the local lesiure centre and use the gym and sauna and steam rooms after work. I’ll be going with two companions, James and Jack. I’ve also applied for funding to start driving lessons, which I’m really looking forward to, and I’ve been doing loads of online courses and passing them all.
Every 12 weeks, we also get a week’s holiday and Emmaus will pay for our transportation and give us spending money. If you want to see friends and family at different times, they’ll cover the cost of that too. I’ve gone to see my family a few times on the train. I do miss home and my family and friends loads, but I get to see them on my days off which is great.
Thanks
I would like to say thank you to FareShare Cymru for our weekly food donations, Asda for putting up with our massive food deliveries every Thursday, Nando’s for chicken donations every so often, and South Wales Police for yearly clothing donations.
I’d also like to thank all the people who donate items to our shops. We appreciate all donations, and it really does mean a lot to us. Of course, there are times that we can’t accept everything if we’re too full for health and safety reasons, but we always appreciate it. To save a wasted journey, donors should always call one of our shops beforehand to check we have space.
Lastly, I’d personally like to thank Angela and Claire in the Support Team for all their help and support since I joined Emmaus South Wales.
Goals for the future
My goals for the future are to finish probation next year and stay off it forever, improve my mental health, and learn how to drive. Emmaus has given me the option to start a new life and I would recommend it for anyone who is homeless or facing homelessness.