Selwyn Image at the opening of Emmaus Cambridge in 1992.
Selwyn Image, Born 1938
CHARITY FOUNDER
Selwyn Image CBE was born in Edgware, Middlesex, and as a young man he travelled widely. He spent his national service in the RAF, serving as a Chinese linguist in Hong Kong, and while studying languages at Cambridge University he worked in Paris to improve his conversational French. It was here that he became involved with Emmaus, an international organisation that provides shelter, meaningful work and a sense of community to homeless people. In 1989, he returned to Cambridge after an international business career, and was struck by the increase in the number of homeless people living on the city's streets. He sought the help of Emmaus' charismatic founder, Abbé Pierre. This led to the establishment by Selwyn of the UK's first Emmaus community in Cambridge in 1992. He worked hard to expand Emmaus UK which now has more than 20 communities around the country. In addition to his business career and his work with Emmaus and other charities, Selwyn Image is a writer and composer and has served as a magistrate.
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