YPEOPLE, formerly YMCA Glasgow, has been awarded £58,177 by the ScottishPower Energy People Trust to implement an energy saving initiative.
The registered charity will use the funding to provide energy efficiency advice services to over 1,200 people who are currently, or will be in the future, residing within its supported accommodation services across central Scotland.
By providing this advice and implementation of energy saving initiatives Ypeople aims to significantly reduce its energy bills, the impact on the environment and its carbon footprint.
Ann Loughrey, ScottishPower’s head of Corporate Social Responsibility and The ScottishPower Energy People Trust’s company secretary, said:
“We are delighted to fund this new energy saving initiative run by Ypeople.
“A large part of the project is about energy saving advice and education and we’re positive that with the money provided Ypeople will be working to help alleviate fuel poverty for its clients.
“We wish the organisation well in providing valuable advice to service users to help them manage their electricity usage.”
Joe Connolly, chief executive of Ypeople Glasgow, said:
“When our service users move into their own home one of the things they find difficult is managing finances.
“They have little or no knowledge of climate change or energy efficiency methods and unfortunately this can often lead to them falling into fuel poverty.
“Things like leaving lights on when out, drying clothes from dripping wet, leaving televisions on standby and opening windows to cool down warm rooms are a few of the actions that can lead to excessive energy usage and fuel poverty.
“Education and information sessions will make a real difference in ensuring that people from our services will avoid fuel poverty and be able to manage their finances better.”
As part of its sustainable development strategy, Ypeople will also offer an educational service to people using its services as part of a holistic support package to help them to secure a home of their own.
Established in November 2005, the ScottishPower Energy People Trust provides vital funding for not-for-profit organisations that help vulnerable people including families, young people, the disabled and the elderly, who need to spend more than ten per cent of their income on energy bills.
To date, the Trust has awarded £8.9million to 172 projects helping over 1,503,205 individuals in over 1,258,822 households throughout Britain.
The ScottishPower Energy People Trust is an independent charity funded by ScottishPower and through voluntary donations from individual supporters.
For further information on the Trust, please visit: www.energypeopletrust.com
ENDS
For more information contact:
Susanne Grant, the BIG Partnership, on 0141 333 9585 / 07824 388 472 susanne.grant@bigpartnership.co.uk
Or
Kay McCarthy, the BIG partnership, on 0141 333 9585 / 07736 774 338
kay.mccarthy@bigpartnership.co.uk
Note to Editors:
- The ScottishPower Energy People Trust was established in November 2005 to fund not-for-profit organisations that help vulnerable people including families, young people, the disabled and the elderly who need to spend more than ten per cent of their income on energy bills.
- To date The ScottishPower Energy People Trust has awarded £8,950,004.50 to 172 projects supporting 1,503,205 people in 1,258,822 households.
- The ScottishPower Energy People Trust does not provide funding directly to individuals but provides funding to not for profit organisations which represent the vulnerable/fuel poor. People described as living in fuel poverty are those who spend more than ten per cent of their income on energy bills.
- There is no time limit in organisations applying for funds as the Trust is a long term registered charity. The decisions on the awards to organisations are made independent of ScottishPower by the Board of Trustees of the charity.
- To apply for a grant from The ScottishPower Energy People Trust, log onto www.energypeopletrust.com or email SPEnergyPeopleTrust@ScottishPower.com or call 0141 568 3492
- The ScottishPower Energy People Trust is just one of a number of ScottishPower initiatives which assist some of the UK’s most vulnerable people. As well as working closely with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, ScottishPower employs Community Liaison Officers who visit people in their homes. The energy supplier has also insulated thousands of homes across the UK through its Energy Efficiency Commitment.
- In Ofgem’s Review of Suppliers’ Voluntary Initiatives to Help Vulnerable Customers (August 2007), the Trust was recognised for Best Practice as it integrated energy efficiency advice and the provision of EEC measures to help customers manage and reduce future energy expenditure.
Ypeople
- Formerly YMCA Glasgow, Ypeople has worked in the city of Glasgow and beyond since 1824. Today, we provide essential services to some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people within our society.
- YMCA Glasgow has constantly evolved to meet the needs of the community from the early days in the city centre, to the new housing schemes, to today where we deliver a diverse range of social, housing and community support services and programmes to a number of different user groups. These include young people at risk, young as well as older, homeless people, asylum seekers and refugees.
- Today we are a charity governed by a board of trustees with the day to day running of the business overseen by our chief executive officer and the senior management team at Dava Street in Govan. We have 14 sites situated across Glasgow, Edinburgh, Central Scotland and South Lanarkshire and employ in the region of 200 staff and provide accommodation to over 1,200 people whose lives have been affected by homelessness.
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Contact: Susanne Grant
Phone: 0141 3339585
Email: susanne.grant@bigpartnership.co.uk
Website: http://www.bigpartnership.co.uk
