Green fingers help Emmaus grow

When 14 villagers opened their beautiful gardens to the public earlier this summer, they can hardly have imagined that they would raise over £6000 for charity. But that’s exactly what the gardeners of Histon and Impington did, and on 1st September Judy Wilson and Inger Eade from the Open Gardens Committee presented a cheque for £2130 to Emmaus UK.

Above: Judy and Inger with Terry Waite and Tim Page, President and Director of Emmaus UK.

Explaining to Terry Waite the Committee's decision to support Emmaus UK, Judy said, "We chose charities that give people the start they need to develop and become more independent. Many people in Histon and Impington shop and donate at the local Emmaus Cambridge Community, so are familiar with the idea of Emmaus and understand the value in helping new Communities to get established."

Emmaus Cambridge was the first Emmaus Community to be established in the UK and there are now a further 18. Formerly homeless people live in the Communities and work in the Community business of collecting, refurbishing and selling good quality donated goods.

Judy thanked the six volunteers from the Emmaus UK office who helped sell secondhand gardening books and supply wilting visitors to the gardens with tea and scones on a hot June day. "Involving volunteers on the day made it feel more like a partnership," she said. The other two charities which benefited from the gardeners’ green fingers were Histon Feast and VSO.

Published on 1st September, 2009

"Finding Emmaus happened at just the right time for me."