Mason Moore | Hinckley Reporter | 8 February 2022

HOMELESSNESS CHARITY Emmaus Leicestershire & Rutland celebrated the opening of their newly-expanded Emporium shop, on Stockwell Head, this week, with a ribbon-cutting by Shaun Webber – a formerly homeless man who was helped by the charity.

The ‘Emporium’ charity shop was already the largest charity shop in Hinckley, and it was used to specialise in furniture and household goods.

Now, it is home to an additional 3,000 sq. ft. second-hand clothing shop, following the Emmaus’ recent closure of their high street clothing store on Castle Street in town.

But, the recent closure of the Castle Street store did not come as a shock to shoppers, as plans had been put in place last summer, when Emmaus quietly took ownership of the Emporium that they had previous rented, and the two vacant buildings either side.

The charity were able to purchase the properties thanks to a £15,000 grant from Leicestershire County Council, as well as Emmaus UK directly, who gave £100,000 of their funds to the local Leicestershire and Rutland branch, to acquire the buildings.

Operations Manager speaks on clothes shop re-location

Matthew Taylor, Operations Manager for Emmaus Leicestershire & Rutland, commented on the re-location of their Hinckley clothes shop into the Emporium.

He said: “We’ve had the builders in for weeks, knocking through into the property next door and creating a really nice retail space for our clothing shop.

“Our massive Emporium has always been incredibly popular with customers looking for second-hand furniture and household goods. It’s so exciting to be able to offer preloved clothing as well, under the same roof.”

Chair of Emmaus Leicestershire ‘delighted’ by expansion

Peter Savage, Chair of Emmaus Leicestershire & Rutland, stated that he was ‘delighted’ with the expansion.

He said: “This is the first step towards bigger and better things for our charity.

“We’re delighted with the Emporium extension and hope that local people will continue to shop with us and help raise the money to build bedrooms and living spaces next door.

“This means that in future we’ll be able to offer a home and support to many more formerly homeless people, all on one site.”

About Emmaus, donation information and opening times

Emmaus Leicestershire & Rutland offers people who have experienced homelessness a safe home for as long as they need it, alongside day-to-day support, funded training, and the opportunity to gain new skills and work experience.

In a statement issued to the Free Press, they stated that they are beginning to raise funds to reach their longer-term goal of converting the vacant property on the other side of the Emporium into brand new accommodation for the people they support.

The newly-extended Emporium is open Monday to Saturday, from 9.30am to 4pm.

Any donated items for resale can be dropped off during their opening hours.

The charity also offers a free collection service for furniture and larger goods – and appointments can be booked by calling The Emporium directly, on 01455 637587.

Further details about the local branch of the charity can be found online here.