To download a copy of this Emmaus Bristol newsletter please click here. You will require adobe acrobat reader.
Welcome to this edition of the Newsletter. The current recession is having a number of effects, including people needing our Community in difficult times. We are also finding more people looking for inexpensive furniture and household items, as wallets are put under pressure. This helps our sales but means we need more donations, so please join our ‘Donate it. Don’t dump it!’ campaign and think of us first when you are disposing of things you no longer need.
We are so grateful for your support in so many ways. Thank you once again for your generosity and care. Richard Pendlebury MBE
The recession is biting here at Emmaus Bristol! Donations to the workshop are down by 20%, so our latest 10,000 leaflet drop (with fridge magnet!) in North Bristol has focused on our need for good quality saleable furniture, with the strap line ‘Donate it. Don’t dump it!’ At the same time, the need for the second hand, low-cost goods we sell has never been greater, so if you are clearing out your cupboards or replacing your suite we’d love to hear from you!
Call us on 0117 954 0886.
A collection and delivery service is available.
The couple were both employed with a local firm that went into liquidation and as a result of losing their jobs, mortgage arrears built up to a point where repossession became inevitable.
Homelessness for the couple, married for over six years, was a mixture of staying with friends, rented rooms and live-in accommodation when they both found work. Richard became a trainee bus driver and Sara a cleaner for a public house. Through circumstances over which they had no control, these options became fewer and fewer until they were forced to sleep in their van rather than at a local night shelter. After Sara had lost her job when the landlord moved to other premises, Richard became so depressed and worried about their ‘No fixed abode’ status and maintaining a good level of personal hygiene, that he gave up his bus driving work.
Richard says, ‘These were really dark times for us, and I became clinically depressed. I worried I wasn’t providing for my wife and that for me made things seem twice as bad.’
Above: Richard and Sara have found some breathing space at Emmaus Bristol
He goes on to explain their struggle to find accommodation; ‘We tried every avenue we could think of, but as a couple with no dependent children we were low priority for council housing. After that we looked into the YMCA and were offered hostel rooms, but after hearing bad things about the hostels I wasn’t prepared to put my wife’s welfare at any further risk and we had to sleep in the van.’
A meeting at the Job centre to start the signing on process proved to be a turning point for Richard and Sara when going through accommodation options yet again. Their interviewer mentioned Emmaus, and although he didn’t know about the charity Richard called and was invited for a chat and something to eat at the Community.
Richard wasn’t very hopeful; ‘We were told not to get our hopes up as generally Emmaus Bristol doesn’t take couples but we felt we had nothing left to lose and it might open other doors for us, so along we went.’
Eventually Community Manager Dave Perry decided to offer a temporary place at Emmaus Bristol. Speaking of his relief, Richard says ‘In our short time staying here we have been made to feel very welcome and fitted in perfectly with the Community. We enjoy our work and eventually I would like to become a staff member in any Emmaus Community so that I might help with some of the great work that goes on here.’
The couple are very impressed with Emmaus and say it is ‘A fantastic approach to the issues of homelessness, giving a breathing space when most needed. The support encourages you to pursue goals and look forward to the future. We also feel frustrated that Emmaus is not better known in this country but hope that the organisation will grow both in its capacity to help the homeless and marginalised, and its public profile.’
Richard and Sara are certainly doing their part within Emmaus Bristol to make this wish a reality.
As part of our commitment to serving those most in need, Companions and Staff have been doing three key things:
1) Endeavouring to become more selfsustaining and taking steps to become more ethical in our purchasing, by growing our own food on our allotment, sourcing food locally and buying Fair Trade products whenever possible.
2) We are also becoming more involved in the Worldwide Emmaus Movement. In October, four of us from Emmaus Bristol (including two Companions) attended the Emmaus Europe Regional Assembly in Brussels, which is the decision making body for the Region.
The first morning was spent in the European Parliament, listening to and debating with an MEP about Migration. (This is one of the main themes for action which was adopted by Emmaus International two years ago). We have a window of opportunity to express our feelings about legislation concerning Migration which is going through the European Parliament which will make it easier for Governments to return people to their place of origin without taking into account their safety and well-being. We have direct experience here at Emmaus Bristol of people in this situation, who are facing a forced return to a regime which is very likely to be harmful, even fatal, if they return.
3) We have also made links with various organisations around Bristol who have similar aims and have spent some time looking at the issues surrounding Migration and Human Trafficking. Some of the most needy and oppressed people in our society at the moment fall into these categories. Often they have the most difficult problems to overcome and are eligible for the least amount of Government support.
Other highlights of the last few months have been: • The first ever UK based Emmaus Work Camp, which gave us the chance to work together with people from inside and outside Emmaus (UK and the rest of Europe). We camped in the grounds of Emmaus Village Carlton in Bedfordshire and, over the course of a very enjoyable week, ran bric-a-brac stalls on three markets, laid a patio and did an enormous amount of gardening! • The Emmaus UK National Assembly was held in Swanwick, Derbyshire at the beginning of September. 150 Companions and Staff from all the UK Communities gathered to share ideas, and plan for the future of the Movement in the UK. Emmaus Bristol Companions were a real credit to the Community, not only participating fully in the discussions but also winning the football! • In October the official 60th Anniversary of the founding of the Emmaus Movement was celebrated in Paris by 600 representatives of Emmaus from all over the world.
We recently saw the sad passing of Charlie Jordan and Daniel Schneeberger, two great characters in the Emmaus Worldwide Community. A moving tribute by Terry Waite to Charlie Jordan can be found at www.independent.co.uk. Charlie helped set up Emmaus Brighton and Emmaus Hastings & Rother. Daniel was Community Leader at Emmaus Rouen in France and a Councillor of Emmaus International. Both will be missed by us all.
Visiting Bristol as part of his book signing tour, Antonio was due to give a bit of a ‘master class’ to some Companions. Alas, he was recovering from recent bout of bronchitis and was unable to do this, promising however to return at a later date. What he did was just as appreciated. He talked to Companions and Staff, showing a great deal of empathy for the struggles faced and overcome by those within the Community.
Later, continuing his tour promoting new book, ‘Simple Cooking’, Antonio took two Companions, Chris and Ben, along to Carluccio’s Restaurant at Bristol’s Cabot Circus Shopping Centre. There they assisted the super chef (who only calls himself a mere cook!) in preparing spinach balls with pasta in a courgette and parmesan sauce in front of well over 100 people. Even whilst promoting his new book, Antonio took the time to stress to his audience the importance of Emmaus, the way this charity doesn’t just hold out its hand for money, but earns it and gives any excess away to others in need. A truly benevolent man, Antonio left Chris and Ben with some great memories and a signed copy of his new book. Emmaus Bristol awaits that master class with great anticipation.
At the beginning of October, Emmaus Bristol was amazed and delighted to receive a cheque for £662 from the 2nd Filton (St Peter’s) Guide Company, raised through their sponsored sleep-in-a-box at the end of September. This year being the Centenary of Girl Guiding in the UK, the group had been asked to support charities to change the world – and chose Emmaus as the homeless charity they would donate to. The guides were only allowed to take blankets with them and the evening started off with soup and rolls. They then played games in the dark on the campsite before retiring into their boxes for the night. In the morning before they went home it was bacon butties all round!
My name is Chris and I have been a Companion at Emmaus Bristol since April this year. As part of my support programme it was decided that furthering my knowledge and experience of Emmaus Communities would benefit my progress. So it was agreed that I would spend a couple of weeks at Emmaus Leeds in the role of acting Community Assistant (CA).
Above: Chris broadening his experience at Emmaus Leeds
A CA is a Companion with a greater responsibility within the Community, who has additional duties to those of other Companions yet on the whole remains at the Companion level.
From Tuesday to Saturday I was working in the kitchen and tending their allotment, as I had in Bristol. When ‘on call’, I was responsible for ensuring the safety and security of both buildings and Companions until the following morning, with a member of staff always at the end of a telephone if needed.
I have to say that Emmaus Leeds was an excellent experience and my welcome from all at the Community was exemplary. The extra duties were no burden; no alarms went off and no Companions unruly, honestly!
After two weeks, I was asked to stay for a further two. I accepted but when asked to remain further, I drew the line and returned to Bristol, where I am happiest. I would strongly recommend trying other Communities and responsibilities, since when helping others we also help ourselves. Huge thanks go to my Support Team here at Emmaus Bristol and all at Emmaus Leeds for the opportunity to grow within the organisation, grow within myself and make wonderful new friends.
Learning new skills and developing existing ones is a great way to build confidence and help with future employment prospects too.The Government is currently making funding available through their Train to Gain initiative, and we are beginning three new courses this month, led by tutors from City of Bristol College. Two members of Staff will be taking the Level 3 in Management, our two Community Assistants will be taking the Level 2 Team Leading course, and five Companions will do an NVQ in Customer Service.
Not all the courses we do are quite so studious, though. In May, four Companions completed the RYA dinghy sailing Level 1 course in Bristol docks. This was made possible through the Companion Training Fund, which is managed by our umbrella organization, Emmaus UK – and a great time was had by all!
If it’s June, then it must be Paris. Every year, Emmaus International organises a one day sale to raise money for international solidarity projects sponsored by the movement. Current campaigns involve such diverse issues as access to safe drinking water, migrants’ rights and ethical finance. As always, the event was hard work and enormous fun, with the UK party setting up and running two big bric-a-brac stalls. No one who attends the Salon will forget the countdown to opening on the Sunday morning, when the doors to the exhibition hall are thrown open, and the bargain hunters of Paris pour in and run down the aisles in search of their favourite stall.Our stalls contributed some 8000 euros to the total of ½ million euros on the day, and afterwards there was the chance to socialise with Companions and staff from all over Europe.
18.11.09
We are proud and delighted to report that on April 7th our Director, Richard Pendlebury, was made an MBE in recognition of his charitable services to the community of Bristol. Richard has been working for Emmaus Bristol for 10 years and played a key role in setting up the Community in Bristol.
For the last 6 years he has been a trustee of Emmaus UK which supports the work of Emmaus Communities and fledgling groups throughout the UK. He also founded the charity Changing Tunes which uses music to rehabilitate offenders, and brought his fundraising skills to Network Counselling and to the development of Filwood Hope in Knowle. Beyond Bristol, Richard was instrumental in raising the finance for the Beacon Centre in a disadvantaged community in Cardiff.
Richard is a generous and inspirational communicator and, in the Emmaus tradition of Solidarity, he is always willing to help other organisations by sharing his skills and experience.
I wanted to do something different – and I wanted to have a thrill! I also wanted to help the Deaf Blind Association. The deal was “flying” across the Bristol City Stadium, starting at the top of the stadium and landing in the middle of the pitch. I’ve done a lot of abseiling and rock climbing in the past and I wanted it to be really high. It wasn’t as scary as I thought it might be, but it was great fun.
We were launched one by one in groups of ten and I found myself flapping my arms like a bird as I slid down. Richard Pendlebury and his wife were there to support me as well as several of the Companions. I loved it. And the good thing is that I raised over £350 for the Deaf Blind Association while having fun. Now I’m looking out for another adventure!
Thank you very much once again for your ongoing support for Emmaus Bristol and I hope you are encouraged by what you read in this newsletter. I was delighted to receive the honour in the New Year but also conscious that so many people have contributed to supporting the work I have been engaged in over these past 20 years. I am particularly grateful to those who I have worked with and those who have given up time and money to achieving the vision of Emmaus and other projects I have been involved in.
For me it has been a privilege to serve and the reward of seeing people’s lives transformed unquantifiable. I have also realised just how rich I am, not necessarily in monetary terms but in the wealth of relationships I enjoy. This is something most of those who come to us as Companions are really deprived of when they first arrive. Our great joy is to see our Community embrace them and provide a platform of care and support they may not have known for many years. You are making this happen and we thank you for being part of this outreach through your support. With very best wishes Richard Pendlebury MBE
Dave Perry, Community Manager, reports on life at Emmaus Bristol What is “Community”? It seems to be a bit of buzz word in Government circles these days but looking about us, it seems that there is very little in the way of “community” in our society today. How many of us know more than a handful of our neighbours? Emmaus is a different way of life; it’s counter-cultural. We work through developing “Communities”. If we define Community as “a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society”, our “common characteristic” is a history of homelessness and our “common interest” is making a positive difference to ourselves and those around us. At Emmaus Bristol we live together for the benefit of each other and the wider community. At our best we bring a very diverse group of people together with many differing skills and gain the benefits of working together towards a common goal when working alone would be difficult if not impossible. We provide the means for people to gain in strength and confidence through learning new skills and sharing the work of serving those most in need in our society.
We are also part of the UK wide Emmaus Community, a movement which is working hard to alleviate poverty and oppression in the UK, and of the Emmaus International movement which is working in 4 continents to help the most impoverished to regain their self-respect by working together for the benefit of themselves and others. We must continue to think of the “wider picture”, particularly through these challenging economic times. Our first aim is to support the needs of Companions, followed closely by “Solidarity” - serving those worse off than ourselves in whatever ways we can. You can read on this page and page four about Companions’ involvement in this. We continue to grow our business in order to earn a living and make a real difference to those most in need. Please continue to support us in this work by donating your unwanted items and visiting our shops to buy good quality low priced furniture, electrical goods, bicycles and much more. Please also think about where the things you buy come from. Much of the “cheapest” food, clothing etc is paid for at a very high price through the abuse and oppression of poor farmers, factory workers and those least able to stand up for themselves. Let’s all be part of a world-wide and world-changing caring Community that makes a real difference to our world. I have seen within our own Community and Companions that huge, apparently impossible, problems can be overcome by dealing with things one small step at a time; the individual does have the power to make a real difference. It is our responsibility to look after this world; there is no back-up plan. Finally, and with great sadness, I have to report the sudden and unexpected death of Companion Max. He was found at peace in his bed on 9th February. Max had been a Companion for about a year and was truly “part of the furniture” here. We will miss his company and his cheeky smile, and our thoughts are also with his close friend Trish with whom we share the sadness of his loss.
Mark has been a Companion at Emmaus Bristol for 6 months. I work in the warehouse. When I first came, I did a bit of all sorts – housework, deliveries, collections, this and that. Now I’m in the warehouse making sure that everything’s working properly. I used to work in warehousing in Yorkshire in the textile mills; I’ve got a lot of experience. Then all the mills closed down, I had two jobs, but I was made redundant from both of them at the same time. Everything was shutting down. I fell out with my family around the same time and I thought “I need a change”, so I got on a bus. I went down to London looking for work but got involved in the wrong crowd and ended up in a hostel. I was on and off the streets for 20 years, in hostels and night shelters around the country. Some are alright but some are a bit dodgy. There’s a lot of drugs about. The worst was in London; I booked in and walked out the same day. I went to make my bed and it was full of syringes. Not clean or anything. So I was in and out. I’d rather be on the streets.
I’ve calmed down a lot now. I’m not getting any younger and I wanted to sort myself out a bit. As I got older I wanted a job but couldn’t find one. I was hanging out in parks and boozing. Then Emmaus came along. I was living in Bristol in the Salvation Army hostel and they put me in touch. I didn’t even know it existed before that. It’s given me something to do, something I enjoy. I still drink but not like I used to. I’ve cut down a lot, I don’t drink during the week, just Saturday and Sunday, and I might have the odd pint if it’s been a stressful day. Sometimes it does get stressful in the warehouse – customers need deliveries, the van gets back and needs unloading – where does this go, where does that go. It’s an important job as we haven’t got a lot of storage. I’ve always liked doing something. But when you’ve been unemployed, when you’re in hostels no-one wants to take you on. Emmaus gives you a chance - it’s changed the way I look at life.
Shirley has been a volunteer at Emmaus Bristol for about 3½ years I love the friendship you get from Emmaus. I love the Companions. They’re such a grand bunch of lads. Sometimes they have ups and downs, it can be hard working, eating and living 24/7 together, but I love them all to bits. Some of them work so hard – nothing is too much trouble. When I first started here I answered the phone. Then I found I preferred being out on the shop floor, talking to customers, selling things, talking to Companions. When people get used to you they talk to you. Companions know that whatever they say to me will never go any further. If they want to tell me something it’s fine but I wouldn’t ask anything personal. I get the tears, sometimes, and I might give them a hug. Some people say I’m like a second Mum! The other thing that I love to do is deal with the Management corner; I make it like a living room or a bedroom. I try to bring in a customer’s point of view. For example, I encourage the Companions to move things around. If something’s been in one place and isn’t selling, you can move it somewhere else and it sells. I’ve proved it again and again!
Above: Shirley on the shop floor
I try to bring in the softer side. Most of them here are men – they don’t know what a duster is! But they never object to me asking them to help me clean things up. They work with me not against me. Everyone here, though I don’t know all their stories, has had some trauma in their lives that has led them to where they are today. It’s getting that across to other people. I think that’s what we need to get across from Emmaus – do not judge. Because at the end of the day, none of us know if we’re going to end up in that position.
He works so hard. Last week, Mark put up a bunk bed then, straight away, someone came and bought it. He had to take it down again. He said, “Great it’s sold”. Then someone else came in and wanted to buy it. We had another one but we can’t sell it until it’s all been put together, to make sure all the bits are there. So Mark said “I’ll put it up, if you can come back later.” They came back at lunchtime and bought it and he had to take it down again! Two in a morning! But he does it, without complaining. He never stops. And he comes out and has a look around, says “There’s a space there, a space there, what can I bring out?” Nothing is too much trouble.
Once again Emmaus Bristol attended the annual fair held on Redland Green in North Bristol on Bank Holiday Monday. With our two new gazebos and information stands we definitely present a more professional organisation. This year saw more Companions volunteering to help and this was greatly appreciated; setting up and closing down was a smooth operation. As well as our usual eclectic mix of furniture and bric-a-brac, we had an art gallery wall selling a mixture of paintings and prints, which attracted a great deal of attention As always we distributed hundreds of leaflets and talked to the public about Emmaus and its work in Bristol and the world.
Once again Emmaus Bristol’s trusty minibus is off to Paris, to provide troop transport for the “Angleterre” stand at the annual Salon Sale. The sale, in an exhibition centre to the South of the city, features stands from Communities the length and breadth of Europe, and in one day raises some 500,000 euros for Emmaus International solidarity projects in Europe and the Third World.
Above: Ready for business at the Paris Salon Sale
Our stall focuses on bric-a-brac, which will be gathered and transported in two Emmaus vans from other Communities in the UK. Teapots are always strong sellers, and donations are welcome! Driving duties will be shared between Business manager Malcolm Thorne and Operations Manager Chris Heaton, and the party will include three Bristol Companions. The Sale takes place on Sunday, 14th June.
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14.08.09
You can download our latest newsletter here.
Welcome to this edition of the Emmaus Bristol newsletter and many thanks for your ongoing support and help. I have taken the slightly unusual step of taking over the front page as we are living in extraordinary financial times and there is a great deal of uncertainty for all of us and that includes Emmaus Bristol. What is for sure is that this current downturn is bound to have some severe effects on those who are most vulnerable in society. We suspect that there will be a greater need for Emmaus as homes are repossessed and financial strain causes family breakdown.
Our job at Emmaus Bristol is to continue to provide opportunities for those for whom their world has come apart and your support of our work remains vital. We still very much need your donations of household furniture and continued financial support. The prices we can charge for the donations you make mean that many people on low incomes can afford to furnish their homes within tight budgets which is vital in this difficult economic climate. Every purchase helps produce an income for the Community so that the Companions themselves benefit from the business Emmaus continues to be a good news story and I hope very much that you are encouraged by this newsletter and the great work that is going on. Thank you once again for your support which has enabled Emmaus Bristol to make such an impact on those we serve and those around us. With best wishes Richard Pendlebury Director
One customer describes “the Emmaus shopping experience”!
Ella first discovered Emmaus Bristol 2 years ago, following a recommendation from her mum. Since then she has been dropping by quite regularly once or twice a month just to see what’s in stock. “It varies,” she says. “That’s what I like! It changes all the time. I like the mixture of old and new furniture and discovering what’s in this week – and I usually leave with an unusual item that I couldn’t buy in the shops.” Several months ago she fell in love with a Chinese wedding cabinet, which she was sure would look great in an upstairs room. Unfortunately, in spite of their best efforts, three sweating Companions were unable to get it up the too-narrow staircase. “They were great, though”, Ella affirmed. “They tried every way possible. And the cabinet still looks good in my downstairs room!”
Emmaus Bristol operates a collection and delivery service for large articles, and would be delighted to hear from you if you have items of good quality furniture to donate. Please contact us for more information.
Community Manager Dave Perry, looks back on developments over the past 5 years.
It was our 5th birthday on 6th October this year which started me thinking about 5 years ago when we opened and how different the Community is now. We started with 4 Companions, without a Workshop, with very few policies and procedures, and little in the way of fittings and fixtures. For all of us, it was a very steep learning curve. Now, 5 years on, there have been a few changes! We have 18 Companions and are about to open a house which will provide another three or four Companion places. Our workshop and sales area has been enhanced by a shop in Bedminster. We have employed three Companions, one of whom has moved on to work for Emmaus Gloucestershire, and we have an increased staff team to help and support more Companions to make a positive difference in their lives. I remember, when I started, thinking that as Community Manager my job was to “build Community”. Of course, I had to make sure that we had maintenance contracts in place, that Companions were properly supported and given useful work, and that everyone had enough food and other supplies - amongst many other things! - but my main job was to empower people to take charge of their lives and make a positive difference. This, of course, continues as new Companions come in, so it is a constant challenge to encourage Companions to start looking outside their own problems. When most Companions join the Community, they have needed to survive in homelessness, so it has been necessary for them to become “selfish” to look after themselves and keep safe. They have become very inward looking. As Companions become settled in the Community they are able to start thinking about their surroundings and the people they share their life with. A big part of what the Community does is to give people a strong base to start again from. With all their basic needs provided, full time work to help them develop a purpose in life, and people around them who are interested in their well-being, they can start to look at the needs of others. This is the beginning of Solidarity action. For me the sense of belonging, the sense of caring for others and thinking of others, and the desire to make a positive difference for others in need (“Les Autres” as Abbe Pierre called them) is what Community is about. We always need to strive to be better, but so far we have done very well. This is down to hard work, a fantastic team effort and the desire to “serve first those most in need”. If we continue to serve, continue to empower and continue to expect the very best for all Companions then we will continue to grow from strength to strength.
Tony Parker has been managing our new shop in Bedminster for about 10 weeks. He gives us his first impressions of working for Emmaus Bristol. I come from a retail background mainly in TV/audio and electrical sales. I heard about Emmaus from a friend and jumped at the chance to become involved when I was offered this position. I have found my time here both enjoyable and quite challenging. Working for Emmaus has made me feel useful, that I am actually working towards helping other people who have been less fortunate than I have.
I have met and worked with most of the Companions in the Community and all have a funny story to tell. I don’t profess to understand all that they have gone through, and I don’t think it is my place to ask. I hope to be with Emmaus for a long time to come and that as a Community we continue to thrive and grow. I look forward to the future with great anticipation.
New Companion Dave tells his story – so far! Dave comes from Sudbury, near Colchester, and worked as a forklift driver until his life went off the rails - “I split with my partner and everything came crashing down” - and he ended up in prison. On release, he spent a month in a night shelter, and it was there that he first heard of Emmaus. There was a room at Emmaus Gloucester, so he travelled there – with no idea of what he was letting himself in for. He didn’t really like his first 3 or 4 days and had decided to use his return train ticket to head back East – but on his departure day, he went to a Car Boot sale with some of the other Companions, lost track of the time – and missed his train. Since then, he has never looked back!
Quite quickly, life at Emmaus began to seem quite easy and normal. He enjoyed having his own room and the stability of regular meals and supportive staff. He enjoyed going to the Emmaus General Assembly in the autumn and meeting Companions and Staff from all over the UK. (Only complaint – no TV in the evenings!) After 8 months, he decided to move to the new Emmaus Community in Sheffield, having met some of the Sheffield Companions at the Assembly. He took full advantage of the opportunities there, to renew his passport, get a provisional driving licence, a First Aid certificate and a PAT qualification – and learn how to ski! He also travelled to Bosnia with Emmaus International to spend 3 weeks digging trenches for cables to provide electricity to a school. He was the only UK Companion in a group of 150 - but picked up a bit of French and really enjoyed the experience (he fared better during a week of torrential rain than the non-Brits who weren’t used to the cold!) and would like to go back next year. It amazed him to see people carrying on as normal in a world still torn apart by the war which ended 13 years ago. Five weeks ago Dave came to Emmaus Bristol and is using his PAT skills in the workshop here. After 2 years of decreasing the dose, he has finally come off his medication for depression. He’s making plans for the future, but taking it gently and not putting himself under pressure. He’s discussing training with the Support Team and wondering whether to join the TA. His final word? “I’m quite glad I missed that train!”
At the heart of the Emmaus ethos is a concern for others. This can express itself in many ways! In the very early days after the Community had opened, the first few Companions took it upon themselves to keep the park across the street free of litter - no small task! This was the beginning of a “way of life” for the Community. On Saturday 29th November, Emmaus Bristol will be helping at The Dings Multicultural Winter Festival organised by Community at Heart, lending chairs and tables and transporting items in our vans.
Last year the Community hosted a Christmas lunch organised by Mike Poole for the Senior Citizens of the Dings. It was so successful that it is happening again on Tuesday, 9th December. We are always on the lookout for donations of toiletries and vouchers for the raffle. If you feel you can contribute something, we would be delighted to receive it at Barton Manor or 72 Bedminster Parade. A good home! Recently some dark room equipment was donated to us. We were able to pass it on to the St Paul’s Learning and Family Centre where they run a photographic class.
Chris Rowlands joined the Emmaus Board of Trustees in 2008. He has wide-ranging executive and non-executive business experience with large and small companies in the City, Property, Retailing (including Asda) and the Media. He is particularly well known in Bristol for his involvement, as Chief Executive, in the rescue of HTV Group plc.
Most recently he has been involved in the investment in and management of small companies. He is a non-executive director of Standard Life Equity Income Trust plc. He is particularly interested in helping companies to draw up and implement their strategic plans and develop their management teams. He is a strong Christian, has a passion for history and enjoys skiing, walking and sailing.
In spite of non-stop rain falling for the previous fortnight, the sun shone on Malc, Mike, Mark and Geoff when they played a Stapleford competition on the Bristol Golf Course in August, at a fundraising event in aid of St James’ Priory. The team, made up of Staff, Companions and a Volunteer, hadn’t played the course before, but that didn’t stop them winning by 8 points. They were each presented with an engraved tankard during the meal which followed the match, and their luck was definitely in, as they each won a prize in the raffle as well! It was a great day out – and one that raised over £1500 for St James’ Appeal too.
27.04.09
