Emmaus Dover is looking to raise £1million in a bid to protect its historic site and its future supporting formerly homeless people.
Emmaus Dover has launched a major fundraising appeal to restore and redevelop its site at Archcliffe Fort after discovering its warehouse is at risk of collapsing. The historic site, a former military installation dating back to 1370, is currently leased to us from English Heritage, an organisation which aims to conserve some of England’s finest historic sites.
The site, which stands on the headland overlooking Dover Harbour, known as Archcliffe point, has enabled the charity to offer an alternative route out of homelessness for up to 27 people at a time. It also hosts the charity’s social enterprise and a successful shop where people currently being supported by Emmaus volunteer their time to gain new skills and rebuild their confidence.
All funds raised from the ‘Building a Better Future’ appeal will help to protect the ancient scheduled monument from further decline and enable us to build a larger shop, workshop, warehouse, and improve the car park for customers.
Debbie Stevenson, Community Manager said,
“Our main warehouse has cracks in the walls and pillars that have been investigated by structural engineers, and because the building is at risk of collapsing in the future it must be demolished and rebuilt within the next few years. We are so lucky to be able to call Archcliffe Fort our home, and we see it as our duty to protect and preserve it so that it survives long into the future. We hope that our local community will get behind our fundraising appeal, not only because we hope to add the Fort as a key historical place of interest in Dover, but also so that we can increase our capacity to offer current and future Companions an opportunity to build a new life”