16 Jan 2026
Quirky items from a mystery Netflix TV show are among the goods on offer at St Albans’ new Emmaus shop.
The charity furniture and clothing store opened today in the former Virgin Money bank in Lockey House, St Peter’s Street.
It stocks an eclectic mix of restored and upcycled furniture from the Emmaus workshop, as well as clothing, homewares, handicrafts, small electricals, vinyls and vintage finds.
Among the goodies is a candle holder made from driftwood and a travelling chest from Delhi, both of which were donated by a TV production company.
The charity has made the most of the little offices which comprised the former banking space, using them as individual showcase areas rather than going for a more open plan feel.
The opening follows the closure of the popular ‘Out of the Emmaus Workshop’ shop after three years of trading in the city centre. The store showcased the restoration and upcycling work produced by the people the homelessness charity supports, known as companions.
The shop will help fund its work helping companions with a home, individual support and meaningful work opportunities, preparing them for independent living and a brighter future.
Emmaus Hertfordshire business development manager Gemma Beckett said: “When we first viewed it, it was a little bit hard to envisage how it would work because there are lots of little rooms and it looked very corporate, but I think it works really well for the stuff that we do.
“I think we’ve got some really great stock. We were really really fortunate to have been donated loads of items from a film studio just before Christmas who were wrapping production. There are some really amazing pieces, but that wouldn’t tell us where it’s from. It’s a Netflix production, that’s as much as we know.
“We also have some of the really beautiful pieces from the workshop, which are always my favourites because I think it just shows how talented some of our companions are.
“This is also one of the only shops we’ve got other than Tring that’s doing clothing, which is quite exciting. We’ve got a really nice selection, some items were donated by customers, and others by a local business who produced samples for various high street retailers, So we’ve got some really nice jersey knit pieces for £5 to £9 and they’re brand new, so really, really good.”
She added: “it’s just really exciting to be back in town. People who are local to St Albans know of us and have specifically to see us open and are pleased to see us back in the town centre. We’re also going to open on Sundays when there’s a vintage market, so that’s this Sunday and every vintage market to come.”
Emmaus Hertfordshire is still appealing for donations for the new shop. Where possible, it asks donors to drop-off items, but does offer a free collection service for donations of good quality furniture. To book a collection visit: https://emmaus.org.uk/hertfordshire/donate-goods/
