Emmaus Brighton & Hove is a homelessness charity based in Portslade and part of an international movement tackling poverty and homelessness. This project was developed to provide the management committee and Board of Trustees with a report conducted with the Companions (residents in the Emmaus community) to explore the sense of community provided by Emmaus.

The project was part of my Masters in Community Psychology. I was introduced to the organisation by the University of Brighton’s Community University Partnership Programme. This proved helpful in setting the parameters of the project. I had to go to Emmaus to spend some time with the organisation to get a feel for it. It was my first real life experience as an interviewer and I was concerned about not getting it right, but Dr Paul Hanna was there to provide the necessary support when it was needed. I learnt that this is part of being a researcher in the ‘real world’ where those kinds of situations need to be experienced.

Participants and methods Between December 2013 and April, 2014 questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were carried out with residents (Companions) of the community. Out of the 48 Companions 25 answered the questionnaire, which was followed by five in depth semi-structured interviews. An important aspect of the research was that the researcher and the organisation developed both the questionnaire and the interview questions in collaboration.

What we found The project findings suggest that the strong sense of community formed at Emmaus is based on the fact that Companions have a clear understanding of what Emmaus is about. One interviewee, reflecting on the sense of solidarity exhibited by Companions, said: “Yes… It should be more at the core of what Emmaus is all about and the example I give is that we all had it hard and we have come here so let’s not forget where we come from.[…]

Given the wide range of notions about how solidarity could be encouraged in the community one aspect seems to stand out. There is a need to have ongoing campaigns within the community with some kind of incentive or recognition for those who take part. Some examples of the types of projects supported by the Emmaus Brighton & Hove Companions locally are: a Soup Run on the seafront, giving sleeping bags, warm clothing, and footwear to local charities working with rough sleepers, and maintenance projects at Brighton Voices in Exile and Off the Fence. In addition, providing opportunities for neighbouring makes an important contribution to increasing people's sense of community following homelessness, this can in turn foster their well-being and increase housing stability.

The research also indicates how important the mental health support provided by an organisation like Emmaus is, enabling its members to help each other to work together towards their well-being. A strong sense of community is as important to help people overcome homelessness as more obvious factors such as access to housing, economic stability, facilitating control of substance abuse, and supporting treatment for health problems (including mental health problems). Emmaus Brighton provides their Companions with a place to live giving them also an opportunity to work and gain skills through its social enterprises.

Finally, the research shows that Emmaus Brighton & Hove provides a setting where people in that community can move from a condition of oppression and disempowerment to a condition where they get together to fight social oppression. Thus, their well-being is a result of liberation and empowerment which manifests through solidarity and social action.

I had agreed with the organisation to present the report findings to the Board of Trustees. This part of the project was very satisfying as a Community Psychology student because the Trustees will use the report to bring improvements to the organisation’s services. To see the research develop from an initial meeting to a report that is useful for the organisation to help it to improve its services is why I am studying Community Psychology, to be an active researcher or student striving towards social change.

Bruno de Oliviera, MA Community Psychology student

http://www.emmausbrighton.co.uk/