A new lease of life for an old barracks supporting homeless people and the wider community.
East Sussex
Homelessness
Nov 2016
Cundall brings warmth to Companions at Emmaus Hastings & Rother
Emmaus Hastings & Rother was formed in 2005 with the help and support of Emmaus Brighton & Hove. The community opened the doors of its charity superstore in October 2009 and 18 months later welcomed their first Companion, the term they use at Emmaus for members of its community that were formerly homeless.
Following an expansion in 2014 Emmaus Hastings & Rother is currently home to 22 Companions who work full-time in the community’s charity superstore, either on the tills, the shop floor and the stockroom or in the wood and electrical workshops, the café and on the van, collecting and delivering goods.
The need
CRASH has supported Emmaus Hastings & Rother with various projects in the past. This year it was to help with their heating system. The hot air system in the community’s charity superstore had stopped working and the heaters in the workshop and adjoining offices were inadequate at best.
CRASH called upon Corporate Patron company Cundall to undertake a survey of both areas and their systems to identify possible solutions.
The CRASH solution
Following the survey, it was decided that the superstore would be best served by a heat pump system and local radiant heating systems in the workshops. This would maximise the floor space and limit the risk of damage to displayed items.
How CRASH Corporate Patrons helped
Cundall enlisted heating specialist Nortek who supplied five ambient heaters for the workshop and adjoining offices – two completely free of charge and the others at a significantly discounted rate.
To address the issues in the superstore, Cundall brought in Daikin UK, a market leader in environmentally responsible renewable energy heat pumps, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Daikin supplied all equipment and materials and approved contractor Aspen undertook the installation all completely free of charge.
Lucion undertook an asbestos survey at cost.
Thanks to the generosity of Cundall and their suppliers, Emmaus Hastings & Rother is finally warm and dry.
- The value of gift in kind support through pro bono professional expertise and free or discounted construction products from CRASH Corporate Patrons and supporters came to £5,952.
- CRASH awarded a grant of £5,000 to support the project bringing the total value of support to £10,952.
CRASH Corporate Patron Cundall surveying the heating system at Emmaus Hastings & Rother chatiry superstore.
CRASH Corporate Patron Cundall surveying the heating system at Emmaus Hastings & Rother chatiry superstore.
Installing a new heating system at Emmaus Hastings & Rother chatiry superstore.
Installing a new heating system at Emmaus Hastings & Rother chatiry superstore.
The impact
“The support we have had from CRASH has been fantastic. We now have a heating system in place which would have otherwise been way out of our reach financially and just in time for the change in weather. It has made an enormous difference to the community and we are so grateful to CRASH, Cundall, Daikin, Nortek, Aspen and Lucion for their generosity of time, money and materials.”
Community Manager at Emmaus Hastings & Rother
“I spent 24 years in the army, travelling around the world with my family and on various tours of active duty. I went to Bosnia, Croatia, Northern Ireland and Iraq as part of Desert Storm. The changing scenery suited me, and I enjoyed the hard work and dedication of my fellow infantrymen. When I came out, I got a job in a hotel, and I went at it with the same vigour that I had applied to being a soldier. It was a Catch 22, I worked hard to make money for my family, but I was never there to enjoy the time with them. My wife was disappointed that she still wasn’t seeing me, she found someone else, and I decided I had to leave. My army mentality told me to knuckle down and get on with it. I knew how to look after myself. I didn’t need anything more than a bivvy bag to sleep in. I didn’t want my problems to become my children’s problems; I felt they were better off without me. It was purely by chance that I found my way to Emmaus. I’ve worked on the vans, in the shop, in the house, and I think it’s great. My children are grown up now, and all three of them have followed my footsteps into the armed forces. I have also found somewhere to settle. I enjoy the feeling of teamwork at Emmaus, and what we do here has given me a real feeling of pride and self-respect. I feel like a better person all round.”
Companion at Emmaus Hastings & Rother
