BCHS are proud to have worked with Emmaus UK for a fifth year to continue to support their work to end homelessness.
Over that time, we have raised £125,967 for the charity and supported them with donations of worth £92,406 of essential products to help keep their communities safe during the height of the pandemic. Supplemented by generous support from our suppliers, the total value of the partnership to date comes to over £340k.
Addressing the Homelessness Crisis Together
The funds BCHS raise go directly to Emmaus' Companion Room Expansion Fund, ensuring Emmaus can support as many people as possible to find a way out of homelessness. Their model of 'a home for as long is needed, meaningful work in social enterprise, and tailored support within a community setting." has helped thousands of companions rebuild their lives for over 30 years in the UK.
Donations accrued have supported the launch of six new companion rooms, three at Emmaus Norfolk and Waveney and three at Emmaus Suffolk, and the development of a new community, Emmaus Bradford will provide a home to 26 companions.
Getting hands-on with Volunteering
At BCHS, we encourage our teams to use their employee volunteering days to support Emmaus. A total of 480 hours spent volunteering in Emmaus communities in 2023.
Local Support
Our employees have helped in various ways, including seed collecting with Emmaus Cornwall, sorting donations with Emmaus Norfolk and Waveny, upcycling donating furniture items at Emmaus Bolton, and redecorating rooms at Emmaus Hertfordshire. Our Warrington branch collected donations for Emmaus Salford's supermarket to help support over 200 people struggling financially in the wide community.
Alongside supporting the continued improvement of their facilities, the time spent with Emmaus communities is a valuable opportunity for our teams to learn about the vital work Emmaus does at a local level and meet the people we are helping through our ongoing partnership.
Alongside supporting the continued improvement of their facilities, the time spent with Emmaus communities is a valuable opportunity for our teams to learn about the vital work Emmaus does at a local level and meet the people we are helping through our ongoing partnership.
Helping Communities During the Pandemic
During the first lockdown, Emmaus' communities faced the same challenges as everyone else when trying to get hold of personal hygiene essentials such as toilet rolls, hand soap, and sanitiser. With several vulnerable companions living with underlying health issues in their communities, it was imperative that individuals could access resources to protect their health.
With the support of our suppliers, we were able to arrange donations of some of these products to their communities through our branch network. We went on to donate face-masks, gloves and surface sanitiser to help them reopen their shops quickly and safely when guidelines allowed, enabling them to start generating vital income again.