A new lease of life for an old barracks supporting homeless people and the wider community.
Homelessness
Leicestershire
Oct 2012
Dulux Trade Provides a Brighter Future for Leicestershire’s Homeless
Homeless charity Emmaus has opened the doors to its beautifully decorated Emporium in the Leicestershire town of Hinckley with the help and generosity of Dulux Trade.
The need
The Emporium, a new recycling / reuse business run by former homeless men and women (known as ‘Companions’), was officially launched by Terry Waite CBE.
Mr Waite, who is the president of Emmaus UK, not only cut the ribbon to officially open the newly refurbished shop, he also helped out in the kitchen selling teas, coffees and baked treats.
At the heart of each Emmaus Community is the principle that work restores self-respect and that the community can be self-supporting through trading. Companions not only work to support themselves, but they also work to help others on a voluntary basis.
The solution
CRASH worked closely with Emmaus Hinckley on the renovation and called upon patrons to support the project.
How patrons helped
Dulux Trade became involved with this Emmaus project via CRASH, the construction and property industry’s charity for homeless people.
The social impact
CRASH is a unique, practical charity addressing the issues of homelessness by harnessing the expertise, products and charity of the construction and property industry to improve emergency night shelters, hostels, day centres and move-on accommodation, for frontline homelessness agencies like Emmaus.
CRASH does this in three ways, by providing pro-bono on-site professional expertise, sourcing free building materials from our patrons and supporting companies and awarding cash grants.
Local solicitor Keith Lawson-West has long wanted to see the Emmaus work in Leicestershire and now, with the support of Dulux Trade and CRASH along with a group of like-minded people, his vision has become a reality.
“The Emporium is a fantastic project and provides a great opportunity for homeless people to learn new skills and build their confidence, ultimately helping them to get back into work. It is just one example of the fantastic work that Emmaus does and we were thrilled to be able to help by donating paint to give the shop a makeover. We hope that the newly decorated shop attracts lots of custom and proves to be a success.”
Regional Sales Manager at Dulux Trade
“This is about bringing people on the margins of society back into the community. They work and serve in the shop and that helps people regain their dignity and their ability to communicate.”
President of Emmaus UK
