Generous donations – including those from Nottinghamshire Live readers – means the charity can continue its work ‘for years to come’
The charity has been based at Goose Gate in Hockley since it was founded 50 years ago(Image: Joseph Raynor/Nottingham Post)
A vital charity that provides hot meals to rough sleepers in Nottingham can now continue its work ‘for years to come’ thanks to the public’s help.
On Friday (March 20), Emmanuel House’s chief executive told Nottinghamshire Live that the charity needed urgent help after being presented with a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to buy its building in Hockley.
This would mean the charity, which has operated from the drop-in centre on Goose Gate since 1976, would be able to provide more hot dinners, showers, clothing and shelter to the city’s most vulnerable.
The buildings owner, Nottingham City Council, had told Emmanuel House it could buy the site for £535,000 before the end of March.
Whilst the charity had already raised £460,000, the organisation pleaded for the public’s help in raising the remaining funds and warned not purchasing the building could lead to higher rent costs and a lack of security.
Now, less than a week later, Emmanuel House has confirmed it has raised the remaining funds – and the charity says many donations were made as a result of Nottinghamshire Live’s coverage.
Marketing and fundraising assistant, Emma Wall, said: “It’s still not completely dawned on me that this has actually happened and that we will be able to own this building in the very near future.
“We were sat on the edge of our seats and we were thinking: ‘will we do it’. We didn’t know what to expect but it’s excellent.
“We had so many people coming to our front door and saying ‘I saw you on the news’ and asking if they could make a donation.
“[Nottinghamshire Live] writing that story has meant we connected with many more people than we would usually ever be able to.
“It really boosts the word out to all of Nottingham and further beyond and we even had people calling us up and asking ‘have you made it yet – have you done it?'”
Last year, Emmanuel House had 25,000 visits from people needing support and provided 17,000 meals, 3,000 sets of clothes, 2,700 hot showers and 550 haircuts to some of the city’s most vulnerable.
The charity’s aim is not only to provide people with a roof over their heads, but to allow them to access advisory services in the hopes of supporting them into secure, long-term accommodation.
Isabella Harriss, the charity’s chief executive, added: “Thanks to the extraordinary kindness of our supporters, we are humbled and delighted to share that we have reached that vital target.
“From local supporters to people across the UK discovering our story online, the response has been incredible.