Posted 08.05.15
Emmaus Merseyside has received a donation of £3,000 from the organisers of the North West Housing Conference, law firm Brabners and accountants and business advisers, Mitchell Charlesworth.
Emmaus Merseyside offers homeless people companionship, a place to live and work, and an opportunity to integrate back into mainstream society.
There are currently 25 Emmaus communities across the UK, providing a home and meaningful work to around 623 formerly homeless people.
Emmaus Merseyside is working to open an Emmaus community which will provide a home, as well as education, training and work to people who have experienced homelessness.
The donation came from profits raised by the conference and will be the first contribution to Emmaus Merseyside's Sponsor a Bed campaign, which will raise funds for working capital until their retail superstore generates sufficient income for the organisation to be sustainable in the longer term.
Alistair Fletcher, Partner at Brabners and head of one of the largest specialist housing and regeneration legal teams in the North West said:
"We are very pleased to have this opportunity to support Emmaus Merseyside and the unique service it will provide to local homeless peopl,e as it combines the provision of a shared home with the support, training and work that the "companions" need to return to normal life.
"It is great to see the residential facility nearing completion and the retail superstore already fully operational."
Mitchell Charlesworth Partner and social housing specialist Paul Wainwright added:
"Having visited the new site being developed by Emmaus Merseyside, it is obvious that the services provided will be a tremendous addition to the area and we are pleased to have been able to help such a local charity providing much needed facilities."
Nigel Mellor, chair of Emmaus Merseyside said:
"We really appreciate the contribution from the North West Housing Conference since it gets our "Sponsor a Bed" campaign off to a great start.
"There are several ways to back the campaign: making a financial contribution, donating furniture/household goods for sale in our superstore, or offering other in-kind support.
"Our thanks to all those in the housing movement for their support."
The North West Housing Conference was held towards the end of 2014 at Liverpool BT Convention Centre and attracted over 180 delegates from across the UK to hear from a range of experts who examined the economic realities facing the sector and considered the impact of spending cuts.
Keynote speakers at the conference included Ashwin Kumar, Director of Liverpool Economics, Professor Duncan Maclennan, Director of Scottish Cities Knowledge Centre and Centre for Housing Research at University of St Andrews, Bill Davies, Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Policy Research, Dr Michael Birkett, Group Chief Executive of the Regenda Group and Julie Fadden, Chief Executive of South Liverpool Homes.
The thirteenth North West Housing Conference will take place again at Liverpool's BT Convention Centre on Thursday 15 October 2015.
