Our founder Emma came up with the concept of Embrace 10 years ago, wanting to combine her personal and professional experience to support people who couldn’t access this kind of support in any other way, Emma wanted to help people just like her, having grown up in an abusive home, becoming homeless at the age of 16, through no fault of her own, spending much of her life feeling misunderstood and unsupported and experiencing numerous abusive relationships, along with many years of study and professional on the job learning, becoming a coach and gaining further academic qualifications, Emma knew she was in a position to help many people, she just didn’t know how.
A year later when discussing the idea with a friend, they suggested Emma sign up for the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) and after gaining a space on the program, a year later Emma graduated the program, and Embrace People-Futures-Change CIC, became an incorporated not for profit organisation in November 2016. You may wonder where the name came from, it was a challenge, and after lots of deliberation Emma decided that Embrace was perfect and the vision was to Embrace people, their futures and the possibility for change. Emma was also lucky enough to go on to be awarded a place on the UnLtd program to gain further knowledge and support to push the organisation further.
8 years later Embrace has delivered around 850 hours of coaching support within Norfolk, helping approximately 230 people directly and hundreds more indirectly, because the family, friends, wider community and society as a whole benefit too. Organisations we have worked with include East Norfolk College, Great Yarmouth College, Mind, Leeway, The Daisy Program, The Job Centre, The Shoe Box, The Feed, The Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust (NSFT) and The Job Centre plus many more. This is important and much needed work. These outcomes are beyond Emma’s wildest dreams when she embarked on this journey. We are so proud as an organisation to have been able to make such a difference right here in Norfolk.
This wouldn’t have been possible without the support Emma received from those who believed in her vision. Gaining a place on the amazing SSE, program, her numerous mentors, wonderful non-executive directors volunteering their time and brining their valuable skills to support the organisation, businesses who have sponsored the accountancy fees, like HSA Accountants and insurance cover for a number of years Evans Insurance and so many more who believed in Emma’s vision, along with the numerous unpaid hours Emma spent working on making this dream a reality.
Not to mention the people who supported Emma in the Norfolk Coast Path walk in 2018, especially GD Luxury Transport who provided a support vehicle and Paul Macro who surprised us at various locations providing motivation and taking amazing images, where we raised over £6,000.00, which meant we could expand our delivery and gain data to show this was not only needed, but effective. This led to gaining funding grants from places like the National Lottery Community Fund, LIFT, Norfolk County Council, Norwich City Council, The Aviva Community Fund and many others. This belief in Emma’s vision meant Embrace happened and that we as an organisation have made an incredible difference in our community and beyond.
Having said that, we believe we now deserve a well-earned rest and a period of reflection, a time to reset, reassess and see what the future of Embrace looks like. Our founder Emma is continuing with her private practice and with her practice being fully remote, she will be taking some time out to follow her dream of traveling the world and working with her private clients as she goes. This is not goodbye, simply a see you soon. So, a huge thank you to everyone who has supported Emma and Embrace and thank you to the amazing clients we have worked with who have put your trust in us, we wouldn’t be where we are without you all!
Watch this space!
Thank you from all of the directors,
Emma, Benno and Amie.
