Angela Innes has taken her belief in the work of Emmaus Colchester to new heights after she leapt 13000 ft. from a plane to raise much-needed funds for the local charity.

The 20-year-old student, who is currently studying Forensic Investigation at the University of South Wales, decided to undertake a tandem skydive after she witnessed the help and support her dad was given when he became a companion at Emmaus Colchester.

Commenting on her achievement Angela said: “Emmaus is a charity I owe a lot to. After my Dad became one of Emmaus’s companions, I feel a great emotional connection to the work the charity does. Homelessness and social exclusion are all too often swept under the rug and denied. Emmaus is aiding the people who have felt the full force of that.”

Emmaus Colchester, which is this year celebrating the 10th anniversary of its community house, provides a home and volunteering opportunities for up to 36 companions who have experienced homelessness and social exclusion, offering them an alternative route out of homelessness within a supportive environment.

Gintare Petrauskaite, Community Manager at Emmaus Colchester, said: “We are so grateful to Angela for choosing to support us in this incredibly brave way. The money she has raised will help us to continue the work we are doing and, hopefully, to reach more people experiencing homelessness and help them to rebuild their lives.”

Companions volunteer full time while they are at Emmaus, selling second-hand furniture and household goods at its two Emmaus charity shops on the High Street, an Emmaus Works shop on Osborne Street and a warehouse at Arthur Street. A new shop and café is due to open in Crouch Street in early Autumn.

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