SIXTEEN homeless people live and work in Emmaus Mossley, which is situated in a converted old mill in Greater Manchester.

Although started with grants from the government and other organisations, the project is designed to be self-sufficient.

The residents, known as 'companions', work a 40-hour week collecting, restoring and re-selling household goods, which are donated by people living in the area.

The centre also runs a caf and a heritage centre.

John Chappell, 46, has lived in the community for almost three years. Originally from Ingleton, Yorkshire, John is a skilled engineer and was union co-ordinator and health and safety officer at the company where he worked before his luck changed and he became homeless.

He said that when the project was first launched in Mossley, it received a hostile response from neighbours.

John said: "We used to have a lot of trouble from local youths smashing the windows but that has now changed. I can think of very few instances where we haven't been made welcome.

"Our biggest opponents now come and shop here."

Companion Graham Ogilvie, 20, said: "Everyone knows we are a good bunch of lads and we won't cause any trouble."

But residents of Mossley have mixed feelings about the hostel.

Amanda Furnell, who lives in neighbouring Sun Street, said: "I think it's great. They sell all sorts there. We have had no trouble with it whatsoever."

Sinead Kiely, who works at a taxi firm on the corner of Queen Street, where the community is based, said: "It doesn't really bother me. They might as well have people staying there rather than sleeping rough on the streets."

But one Queen Street resident, who asked not to be named, said she didn't like living so near to the project.

She said: "It devalues the price of our houses. I wouldn't have moved here if I'd known I was going to be next to a hostel for the homeless."

Another resident said: "I would prefer it not to be there. We are near enough to Manchester to have enough homeless of our own without importing everyone elses."

The community includes some ex-offenders and takes referrals from the prison service, but charity chiefs were keen to point out that a whole range of people live there.

Emmaus Mossley trustees chairman, Richard Darlington, said that a quarter of the "companions" were ex-servicemen, many of whom had no idea how to manage their own lives after leaving the forces.

Former electrical engineer Bernie John, 53, now services electrical goods before they are sold in the Emmaus shop.

He became homeless after his landlord went into a nursing home and he could not afford the deposit needed to find somewhere else to live.

He told the Evening Press: "I had read and seen things about homelessness but I never thought it would happen to me. Now I know that it can happen to anyone."

Community leader Jim Hunter, who lives alongside the companions, said that the community operated as "one big family".

He said that new companions initially joined the project on a trial basis. The decision on whether to allow them to stay depended on feedback from the other companions.

The visit to Mossley was arranged by Emmaus in an effort to reassure Barlby residents that the proposed new hostel would not pose any risks to the local community.

The party of visitors included Barlby residents, local councillors and Selby MP John Grogan.

After visiting the project, protestor Paul Hill, who lives near the proposed hostel site at Barlby Farm, said Mossley appeared to be well run.

He said: "I'm not opposed to the charity. I think it could work well in cities such as Manchester, Leeds and York, but Barlby Farm is a bad site due to access and policing problems."

Another Barlby resident said: "It's fine here, but not in Selby."

Mr Grogan said: "I think all of us who went agreed there was much good work being done in Mossley.

"I was very impressed with the strong work ethic."

Updated: 14:59 Wednesday, August 21, 2002