Gallery boost for Tameside homeless charity

Saddleworth art gallery The Weavers Factory has continued their support of homelessness charity Emmaus Mossley by donating items and proceeds from the sale of their gallery stock.

Emmaus Mossley supports 26 formerly homeless people by providing them with a home and work in a community setting. 

Since opening its gallery doors in 2019, The Weavers Factory has supported Emmaus Mossley in many ways, including a series of successful pop-up sale events.

Following the decision to relocate The Weavers Factory to North Wales, owners Julian and Nigel Durkan wanted to continue their support of Emmaus Mossley. 

The pair auctioned off items from the gallery and gift shop, donating 10 per cent (£766.37) to Emmaus Mossley. 

A further 20 items remained unsold which have been donated to Emmaus Mossley to sell in their Second-hand Superstore.

Nigel Durkan, manager at The Weavers Factory, said: “We’ve been working with Emmaus since we opened and we’re delighted to help out this Christmas. 

“It has been a really difficult year for everyone so every penny helps.”

The donations from the online auction, together with the value of items donated to Emmaus Mossley, totalled £1,000. 

This financial boost is welcome news for Emmaus Mossley as it looks to recover from the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and multiple store closures as a result of the nationwide lockdowns.

Hazel Hodkinson, retail manager at Emmaus Mossley, said: “I would like to give a big thank you to Nigel and Julian for their ongoing support, both prior to The Weavers Factory opening and throughout the gallery’s life in Saddleworth.

“The pair have wholeheartedly embraced our charity, taking the time to welcome and get to know our companions. We’re extremely grateful for this latest generous donation and wish them well with their relocation to North Wales.”

To learn more about The Weavers Factory visit https://www.weaversfactory.co.uk/

To find out more and support Emmaus Mossley head to https://emmaus.org.uk/mossley/. 

If you would like to get involved or donate an item to Emmaus call 01457 838608 or visit the store at Longlands Mill, Queen Street, Mossley, OL5 9AH.

Main image:

HAPPY: Hazel and Gary from Emmaus Mossley collecting donations from Nigel at The Weavers Factory.