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Emmaus is a ‘godsend’
MBTC-24-01-12- Emmaus Village Carlton. Feature on formely homeless people now living at Emmaus. Nathan Cleary, Mark Butcher, Richard Butler and John Mann.
THIS week marked National Homelessness Sunday, a time to consider how best to help those who have nowhere to live.
But one Bedfordshire charity is doing just that already, and reporter Hayley O’Keeffe met with four formerly homeless people to find out what life is like now that they live and work at Emmaus Village, in Carlton.
Emmaus currently supports 29 formerly homeless people. By doing day to day jobs such as running the on-site shops and bistro the residents, known as companions, discover a sense of worth and camaraderie which helps them to rebuild their lives.
Nathan Cleary, 31, came to Emmaus last week. He became homeless following a relationship break up.
He said: “Day to day on the streets is really hard and it takes a lot out of you. You get your basics that you need like food from somewhere but it’s not living it’s just surviving.”
And Nathan praised the centre for giving himself, and the rest of the residents a new sense of purpose and a permanent place to live.
He added: “Being in hostels is a destructive way of living because it’s not permanent and you are moving around all the time.”
“The lovely thing about Emmaus is you don’t have to move anymore. In the homeless shelters we haven’t been able to make plans but we can now think about the future, take stock and start to make plans.”
Richard Butler, 31, lived in hostels in London until being referred to the centre where he has now lived for ten weeks.
He said: “Because I didn’t do drink or drugs and I wasn’t disabled I wasn’t classed vulnerable enough to be a priority when I became homeless.
“All the places I went to for help just gave me a lot of numbers to call and I ended up at the London Street Rescue. They managed to find me a place to stay for 21 days and then I was referred to Emmaus.”
And Richard also praised the centre’s hard line on those who might bring drugs into Emmaus.
He said: “The staff here are great and help you get on with it. But if they see that you are struggling they will get you help. But you are caught lying or with drugs they won’t tolerate it, which is good.”
John Mann, 30, has been at Emmaus for four months and has used the time to undertake training and become a Companions’ Assistant (CA), a supportive role for other residents.
He said: “I was on and off the streets since I was 17 and have been in hostels and rehab. I was living in a hostel in Cambridge when I decided I wanted to change my life.
“We all get on at Emmaus but people come and go, it’s a high turn over and it’s always changing but I like it like that.
“Everyone here has things in common and we are understanding about each other’s problems.”
He added: “Since I’ve been here I’ve been able to get my Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) qualification which could lead to a career.”
Mark Butcher, 33 only arrived at Emmaus last Thursday after living rough in Brighton. He hopes to use the opportunity to help him with his addictions and re-establish contact with his two children.
He said: “I’m originally from Kent and because I had no local connection to Brighton it was hard to get help.
“In the summer in Brighton they get about 35 to 45,000 people a day including homeless people.
“I have had the information about Emmaus for a while but have only been clean for four months and decided it was the right thing to do for my life and to get some structure to my day.”
He added: “Here at Emmaus we are not in the town centre which is perfect. As a recovering drug addict I would have to really make an effort to go and find things and in that time I would realise what I was doing and talk myself out of it.”
To find out more about Emmaus, and for directions to visit the shops and bistro visit www.emmausvillagecarlton.org.uk
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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