Households in Birmingham who face being pushed into fuel poverty this winter are to get help from £380,000 project run by a partnership of five community organisations.
Bournville Village Trust, Saltley Community Association, Northfield Community Partnership, Anawim, and Moseley Community Development Trust will work together to help families in need after securing £380,000 from the Energy Industrial Voluntary Redress Scheme (Energy Redress Scheme).
Launching this month (December), the project will use the funding to provide advice to stop struggling households in central and south Birmingham from getting to breaking point with their energy bills. It will also offer direct support with gas and electric bills to families in fuel poverty or those at severe risk of falling into it.
The project comes as millions of people across Britain are set to be hit with higher fuel bills this winter*. Struggling families, who have already lost the £20 a week Universal Credit uplift, could be amongst those most severely affected.
Cheryl Garvey, Head of Community Development at Bournville Village Trust, said: “We are really pleased to have secured this funding which will allow us to build on our successful Well Winter campaign, which saw us help 300 families to keep well during the last winter and offer £17,000 worth of support.
“By working in partnership with these fantastic community organisations, we can stop families reaching crisis point by working with them now to look at the best ways of managing their energy bills as prices increase. For households that are really struggling, we’ll be able to offer direct support such as help with energy bills or other essential items to keep people well during the colder months.”
Managed and delivered by Energy Saving Trust, the Energy Redress Scheme collects voluntary payments from Ofgem regulated companies that may have breached rules.
The priorities of the scheme are to support energy consumers in vulnerable situations, develop innovative products or services and empower consumers to reduce their carbon emissions. Charities that are registered to the scheme and have passed the due diligence process can apply for funds to deliver energy related projects.
Bournville Village Trust is a community-based housing association and registered charity. Its mission is to create and sustain communities where people can thrive. The charity provides services to 8,000 homes and 25,000 people in Birmingham and Shropshire. For more information about Bournville Village Trust, go to www.bvt.org.uk
Saltley Community Association has been providing services to local community for over 30 years and have worked on many programmes and schemes over the years such as employment and training.
Northfield Community Partnership is a charity helping people and community groups in South Birmingham. They deliver a vital range of projects and services from two Hubs one in the heart of Northfield and one in Kings Norton working with over 10,000 people per year.
Anawim helps women from all backgrounds and communities in and around Birmingham to get the support they deserve including friendship and a safe space.
Moseley Community Development Trust is a community enterprise organisation. They are community-led and look for practical answers to local problems and aim to achieve sustainable solutions.