Tackling Homelessness – The Road to Emmaus

Selwyn Image CBE JP describes his leadership of homeless charity Emmaus UK as part of a major international movement carving a meaningful path towards changed lives and renewed purpose.

Selwyn Image set up Emmaus UK in 1992, developing the charity to include 24 communities nationwide providing creative and practical solutions to the problem of homelessness. Selwyn will give a lecture describing the various challenges he faced in growing the movement to its current level of success. Established Emmaus communities demonstrate significant social, environmental and economic benefits, with a £11 social return for every £1 invested.

The first Emmaus community was founded by Abbe Pierre in 1949 in post-war Paris, in response to an unprecedented level of homelessness and unemployment in the city. Now one of the largest NGOs in France, the charity works to restore self-respect to those who have lost it by providing a supportive home and meaningful work.

Selwyn Image is awarded the 2013 RSA Albert Medal for tackling homelessness and social exclusion through social enterprise.

Find out more about Emmaus.

Speaker: Selwyn Image CBE JP, founder and vice president, Emmaus UK.

Don Pinchbeck, Trustee, RSA Trustee and board member, Emmaus will introduce the event and present the medal.

Discussion chaired by Matthew Taylor, chief executive, RSA.

The RSA has been awarding the Albert Medal for innovation in the fields of creativity, commerce and social improvement since 1864.

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