Emmaus Sheffield, a charity based in Sheffield’s canal basin, is a unique alcohol and drug free project providing a safe and secure home for up to 18 formerly homeless adults (known as “Companions”). Their site on Cadman Street in Sheffield has an onsite workshop where Companions learn woodworking skills.

For this project, Companions worked to build a memorial bench for the courtyard garden area, using reclaimed scaffolding boards purchased locally. This has created space for Companions and staff to reflect on the changes that happened within the community during the pandemic, the losses that were suffered, and the extreme effort made by everyone within the project to maintain a sense of normality. It is also a quiet tranquil place for anyone who visits Emmaus to escape the anxieties and demands of the world.