EMMAUS Hampshire has celebrated 15 years since its founding with a service at Winchester Cathedral.

Taking place on Friday, October 18, in the Cathedral Quire, approximately 250 guests attended, including Winchester MP Danny Chambers and the mayor of Winchester Cllr Russell Gordon-Smith.

The service celebrated the charity’s success in rebuilding the lives of its formerly homeless residents, who the charity refers to as Companions, along with its sustainability and contribution to the city, past, present and future.

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Alison Thompson MBE speaking at the serviceAlison Thompson MBE speaking at the service (Image: Chris Atkinson)

@hampshire_chronicle Emmaus Hampshire has celebrated 15 years since its founding with a special service at Winchester Cathedral. For the full story, visit the Hampshire Chronicle website. #hampshirechronicle #winchester #winchestercathedral #emmaus ♬ original sound - Hampshire Chronicle

Alison Thompson MBE, founder of Emmaus Hampshire spoke about the charity’s foundation. She said: “We feel privileged that we can celebrate our anniversary here. The charity began life in Winchester Cathedral, which hosted some of the original supporters’ meetings. Now, we don’t just give people a bed for the night; we offer a home, meaningful work and a sense of belonging.”

The service was led by The Reverend Canon Roland Riem, Vice-Dean and Canon Chancellor, in the company of the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Surgeon Rear Admiral Lionel Jarvis.

Nigal Samuels, chief executive of Emmaus Hampshire, also spoke at the service, discussing the next steps the charity is hoping to take, and it’s work in licensing out a carbon calculator it had developed.

Speaking to the Chronicle following the service, he said: “I think the message is that if you provide hope and structure, and trust homeless people, they can solve their own problems. We have proved over the last 15 years that a number of our companions can go back to independent living, and a number of our existing companions are doing great work.

“The fact that a companion can build and licence a product which generates hundreds of thousands of pounds, like the carbon calculator, is quite remarkable. In fact, our companions open up shops every day, and are trusted to do that and run the operations, which are quite remarkable.”

He continued: “I’m very proud, I’m very humbled by (Emmaus’s success). I’m humbled by the support we get from the Winchester and Hampshire communities, and I think it will continue to be very successful because of the skills and compassion of the companions who live and work with us.”

Music was played throughout the service by CordelectraMusic was played throughout the service by Cordelectra (Image: Chris Atkinson)

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Emmaus Hampshire is now working towards creating a well-being centre for companions to use, with the charity needing to raise £50,000 to complete the funding for a proposed launch next summer.

The service was followed by a reception in the North Transept in the company of Emmaus UK President, Sir Terry Waite, with music provided by Cordelectra, who also played at intervals during the service.

For more information about the charity, visit the Emmaus Hampshire website.