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Step Up To NEA's Community Footprint Challenge
20th September 2012
Local agencies working to stamp out fuel poverty and tackle carbon emissions are being given the chance to win up to £5000, thanks to the Community Footprint Award Scheme.
The Scheme, organised by national fuel poverty charity NEA in partnership with the Department of Energy and Climate Change and British Gas, will provide grants of £2000 to nine not-for-profit agencies across England working in the fields of fuel poverty and carbon reduction. One of these will then be judged the national winner and receive an additional £3000 to help develop their project further.
Last year's national winner, Change Agents UK, are working to enable change by engaging with young people, graduates, businesses and communities motivated by future sustainability. Their project, Energy Action for Rutland, involved organisations from across the area joining together to tackle fuel poverty and energy efficiency through a combination of conducting household energy audits, distributing warm home packs, the creation of a fuel poverty hub, training of frontline staff and a county-wide communications campaign.
Nick Goodman, Charity Leader at Change Agents UK said: "Winning the Community Footprint Award has had a brilliant impact on our project. The prize money enabled us to introduce some new services for householders and the extra publicity has given our programme great exposure!"
Maria Wardrobe, Director of External Affairs at NEA said: "It is essential we do what we can to ensure people can afford to properly heat their homes and improving energy efficiency can benefit the environment too. I welcome all entries and ideas, the more creative the solution and project the more excited we as judges will get."
Christine Tate, Head of Corporate Responsibility at British Gas said, "We know that many families and businesses in the country are feeling the pinch of recession. That is why it is more important than ever that we recognise and support those local organisations who are tackling fuel poverty and affordable warmth in their communities.
British Gas also provides support to people worried about their finances through regional debt advice centres and these centres are open to anyone, not just British Gas customers.
Last year British Gas helped more than a million customers with their bills, and in 2011 we committed £52 million to the British Gas Energy Trust over the following five years to help support people who are struggling with all their household bills."
If your local project is in any way related to the fight against fuel poverty and promoting affordable warmth to vulnerable households in your community you could be the next winner of the Community Footprint Award. To find out more about how to enter, visit http://www.nea.org.uk/footprint
