Like all Emmaus Communities, Emmaus Oxford has been established as a separate charity and is part of the Emmaus UK Federation. The Oxford trustees secured a site in Cowley,171 Oxford Road (opposite the police station and next to the redbrick URC Church, just before Between Towns Road on the way out of town) on which they subsequently obained planning permission to build a Community with 24 single bedrooms and various communal facilities for Companions. Construction work began in spring 2008: this is how it looked that August (right).

They were also able to purchase the adjacent semi-detached house, 169 Oxford Road. It was tenanted to bring in much-needed funding towards the charity's running costs, with our small office at the rear of the house. Once the new community building was opened in March 2009, 169 became home to the deputy community leader and the computers, desks and filing cabinets were carried next door to our brand new office accomodation at the front of number 171.

The roof of the house can be seen in the background of this picture (left), behind the newly tiled tower of the community building - September 2008.