Young volunteers help the homeless

The youngsters are currently completing The Prince’s Trust Team Programme with Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, to give them employability and teamwork skills as well as building their confidence for the future.During the 12-week course, they have been fund-raising, helping communities and building their skills to help them find work.The team of 11 young people chose this project because they felt that homeless people often don’t get the respect that they deserve and that people often have misconceptions and pre-judge them.Chantelle Hood (17) from Nelson, one of the young people involved in the project, said: “We wanted to show homeless people that there are people in their community that care about them. We hope that the work we have done will provide them with an opportunity to stay off the streets and help them get the support they need at Emmaus to move on with their lives.“It’s been great getting to know some of the companions at Emmaus and they are very kind and friendly people. We also hope that we have set an example to the rest of the community that it’s good to help others in need.”Emmaus Burnley supports formerly homeless people by providing them with a stable home and meaningful work for as long as they need it.The charity operates two social enterprises in Burnley and Accrington with all the money raised used to support the community of people who live and work at Emmaus Burnley.Stephen Buchanan, Director of Emmaus Burnley, said: “We’re extremely grateful to the young people on the Prince’s Trust Team Programme for the hard work and kind support they have given to Emmaus Burnley. It has been a pleasure to welcome them to our community.”