A project to help some of the most vulnerable households in Greater Manchester will benefit from £6m, as 30 per cent of adults in the region say they are in financial difficulties.
Cadent Foundation is allocating the funding to Groundworks’ "Green Doctors" scheme, with the aim to offer more than 14,500 in-home consultations and support.
Energy efficiency advisors from Green Doctors will offer practical guidance on energy saving, behaviour change tips and referrals to local support services.
The funding – the biggest award Cadent Foundation has ever made – enables the "Stay Warm, Stay Well" programme to run for three years.
The Groundwork projects covering Greater Manchester will be funded as part of a scheme that covers other regions of the North West, as well as the West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England and North London areas.
Graham Duxbury, Groundwork’s UK chief executive, said: “This new funding from the Cadent Foundation couldn’t be coming at a more important time.
“Feedback from our Green Doctors is that they’re visiting an increasing number of people who are taking drastic measures to make ends meet – from skipping meals to living in permanently cold, damp homes – with many falling into debt.
“We’re also seeing more working people who are ineligible for government support but who still need advice on how to reduce their bills.
“We’re delighted that the Cadent Foundation is able to provide strategic, multi-year support for our Green Doctors, which will help us expand our service to more people and ensure we have a workforce able to meet growing demand.”
It comes at a time when immediate support for households during the cost of living and continued energy crisis remains vital.
Insight from a recent Groundwork survey, found that 94 per cent of energy efficiency advisors reported supporting households that did not use their central heating at all, with 85 per cent saying they had worked with people cutting back on food or only eating cold meals.
On Wednesday, April 10, the Financial Conduct Authority published a report which revealed 30 per cent of adults in the North West are not coping financially, or finding it difficult to cope.
This is higher than the UK average (28 per cent).
For more information visit the Groundworks website (www.groundwork.org.uk/stay-warm-stay-well).
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