A man who overcame homelessness thanks to the help of a Salford charity is raising funds to secure the organisation’s future in the city.
Emmaus Salford is attempting to fundraise up to £200,000 to keep the charity in the city, with the home lease for their Pendleton base set to expire in 2028.
The charity has organised a series of daily one-mile walks throughout all of February to fundraise and in solidarity with those who must walk multiple miles a day just to find shelter.
They have called on people to get involved in their ‘Mile In Their Shoes’ fundraiser by walking or running 28 miles in 28 days this February.
Malcom Larrier, who turned his life around with the help of the organisation, has stressed the importance of having a safehouse for those who need it in the heart of Salford.
He will be taking part in the campaign and feels that securing the future of the charity which changed his life is vital.
He said: “At any given point, there are between 2000 and 2500 homeless people [in Salford].
“You only have to walk around Salford, go into the precinct and see people begging outside Aldi.
“It would leave a big hole in the community if this place weren’t here,” Malcolm stressed.
Malcolm talked about the transformative effect Emmaus had on his life.
He said: “When I came here, I was depressed, anxious, and I didn’t have a plan. I didn’t know where my life was going.
“Without this place, I’d probably still be on the streets or sofa surfing.”
Malcolm continued to speak about the charity’s success not only in providing shelter, but also a purpose, as Malcolm himself has reintegrated himself into the education system.
“I’d mentioned to the staff that I wanted to do psychology. I wanted to give something back, help the people.
“They put a pathway together for me to go do my GCSEs, next year I’ll be doing my A levels, and the year after I’ll be doing a degree.”
The charity is not only hoping to keep the house past the lease date, but to be in a strong financial position where they can ensure its upkeep, as Jackie, the CEO of Emmaus Salford, has explained:
“[We need] to do the repairs on the building because it’s quite an old building as well’.
“To gain the necessary funds, Emmaus has started a campaign in which everyone can walk a mile a day to raise £1 per walk, with Malcolm also joining the daily walks.
“We’re asking people to come together,” Jackie said.
“Fundraise if you can, if not, just bring your feet and do the mile with us on the 17th.”
At the moment, the future regarding a potential council decision remains unclear.
“The council doesn’t have all the answers, I’m afraid. They are working with us to find a solution, but there’s just nothing forthcoming at the moment. Nobody really has the answers. And that’s a big part of why we’ve decided to fundraise,” Jackie has said.
However, the CEO has shown gratitude towards the council for giving them the house in the first place.
“We’re grateful to Salford Council. They’ve been our landlord for several years. And they basically gave us this property in 2012.”
More details on how you can join the fundraiser or donate can be found here.
