As a part of our ongoing CSR strategy, we have made a financial donation to Emmanuel House this Christmas, instead of sending out our usual client gifts.
Emmanuel House provides a range of support and services for homeless, vulnerable and isolated adults in Nottingham and has been running for over 40 years. Based at the bottom of the Goose Gate in Nottingham, the charity is made up of a support centre and a charity shop that raises funds for the support centre. The centre has between 60 – 90 visitors a day where the centre offers essential survival services such as hot food and drinks, an opportunity to change into clean, dry clothing, shower and laundry facilities.
Not only this, but Emmanuel House works with specialists to provide support in the following areas: Mental Health, Tenancy and Resettlement, Benefits and Welfare, Training and Workshops and access to the Winter Shelter. The charity provides some consistency to individuals that have perhaps not had a lot of consistency or continual support in their lives.
Emmanuel House also runs a range of social inclusion activities which encourage interaction and tackle isolation issues, such as the allotment project, Streetwise Opera, Womanuel (Women’s Group), the Walking Club and a Friday Art Group.
I went to visit the support centre last week and it was truly heartwarming. The Womanuel social group was taking place where a group of around 10 females were making Christmas candles. The Womanuel group make a range of crafts and having seen some of the service user’s crafts and artwork, there is some real talent. This year, Emmanuel House is selling Christmas cards. The design was made by a service user, packs are £2 for 10 cards and all funds raised go directly back into Emmanuel House.
The kitchen was fully stocked due to a huge amount of donations around Harvest and Christmas time. However, with the job of feeding an average of 75 adults a large meal every day, the stock doesn’t last long. Emmanuel House works with supermarkets who give them food donations too. The ‘wardrobe’ and laundry room was also really impressive – with a selection of warm clothing and shoes. The service users can use the laundry facilities and take 5 items of clothing from the ‘wardrobe’.
Emmanuel House always needs donations of clothes. Roughly 70% of the service users are men and 30% female, with this percentage often being even higher towards men, the need for men’s underwear and male clothing is in high demand. Any clothes that aren’t suitable for the service users are sold in the charity shop so all clothing donations are welcomed.
In the new year, we will be taking on one of Emmanuel House’s one-day challenges. There is a range of ways that as a business we can help the charity and the one day challenge will get us out of our desks as well as raising money and awareness for a great cause. As we move away from the Harvest and Christmas season the demand for food contributions becomes even higher so we will also be making regular food bank contributions in 2019.
If you are interested in finding out more about Emmanuel House then visit their website or please feel free to drop me an email directly at chloe@impression.co.uk where I would be happy to have a chat about the charity.
