Much like fast-fashion, the way we have come to consume and dispose of furniture is having a huge impact on the environment. Cheap-as-chips flat pack items have replaced built-to-last pieces, mainly due to the expense of the latter. But those sought after vintage one-of-a-kind items aren’t out of reach – you just need to know where to look. We caught up with Emmaus, who, amongst the many amazing things they do to help homeless people, upcycle and sell furniture. We spoke to communications manager Sarah Butlin to find out why one man’s trash really is another man’s treasure.
Emmaus UK is part of a global movement which supports those in most need across 37 countries. Emmaus started in France shortly after the Second World War, when homelessness was a big issue. The first Emmaus community was founded in Paris, in 1949 by Abbé Pierre, an MP, Catholic priest and former member of the French Resistance who fought to provide homes for those who lived on the streets of Paris.
In 1989, businessman Selwyn Image was volunteering at a soup kitchen in Cambridge. He was keen to find out what more he could do to help the people who were using the shelter. Selwyn remembered some work experience he had done 30 years before at Emmaus in Paris and, not knowing if Emmaus even still existed, went to the library and picked up a Paris phone book. He managed to reach Abbé Pierre and told him that he would like to bring Emmaus to the UK.
Since the first community opened in Cambridge in 1991, Emmaus has grown quickly. The organisation currently has more than 800 rooms in its 29 communities across the UK, spread from Glasgow down to Dover, and a further four groups are working to establish new communities.