I’ve been a trustee of Emmaus Hull & East Riding for twelve years now, and Chair for two years. We’ve gone from a small group of enthusiasts meeting in borrowed premises to a flourishing and innovative community of almost thirty formerly homeless people (our companions) in a purpose-built residence and commercial centre. It’s been quite a journey, but hard work from all our trustees and staff has made it happen. We set out to have a facility of which Hull and the East Riding could be proud, as well as providing a real home for our companions. It took seven years to find the partners and funds to achieve this, but we finally opened our premises on Lockwood Street in 2016, and they have served us and the community well to date. We’ve had special visitors; The Duchess of Cornwall, our national Patron, was both gracious and down to earth during her visit to the community. Terry Waite, our national President, has not only visited but stayed overnight in our community. Our opening ceremony, with lots of balloons, was conducted by our two local Patrons, Alan Johnson and Patrick Doyle (who was Chair at the time). Lots of local societies, […]
