Charities, community centres and local businesses came together recently to discuss the pressing challenges facing people living in vulnerable situations across the East of England.
Hosted at the Compas Charity in Rivergate, Peterborough, the session was organised by Cadent, the UK’s largest gas distribution network.
The event brought together like-minded businesses, with the needs of the local community a key topic, including the increase in people visiting charities looking for support with fuel poverty, energy efficiency and debt management.
A series of keynote sessions were delivered by leading charities, including RAD (Royal Association for Deaf People), Scope, YMCA, St John Ambulance and Alzheimer’s Society, to inspire local charities and community groups to consider new approaches to customer vulnerability support this winter.
In total, over 20 businesses and charities were in attendance at the Compas Charity which is part of Cadent’s nationwide Centre for Warmth programme. Supported via Ofgem’s Vulnerability Carbon Monoxide Allowance (VCMA), Cadent has built a reputation in supporting customers living in vulnerable situations by partnering with local communities and charities to deliver energy efficiency and carbon monoxide advice.
Petr Torak MBE, Chief Executive Officer of Compas Charity, said: “It was fantastic to see so many like-minded businesses join forces to discuss how we best support the local community. We’ve been working with Cadent for a couple of years now and have seen the energy efficiency support have a big impact on the community. Bringing together other leading charities and businesses brings fresh perspectives as we look at how we continue to evolve the support we provide.&rdquo
Phil Burrows, Head of Customer Vulnerability and Social Impact at Cadent, said: “At Cadent, we’re committed to supporting our most vulnerable customers, achieved through our many partnerships, both locally and nationally. We’re therefore in a unique position to bring together many expert voices to share learnings and propose new solutions. What we know from speaking to our charity partners every day is that cost-of-living challenges are sadly, now simply the norm for many. Therefore, we hope that our local conferences help to deliver new ideas and our partners will be inspired to continue the amazing work they’re doing in supporting people living in the most vulnerable situations.”
Cadent is the UK’s largest gas distribution network with a 200-year legacy. We are in a unique position to build on strong foundations whilst encouraging the curiosity to think differently and the courage to embrace change. Day to day we continue to operate, maintain and innovate the UK’s largest gas network, transporting gas safely and protecting people in an emergency. Our skilled engineers and specialists remain committed to the communities we serve, working day and night to ensure gas reaches 11 million homes from Cumbria to North London and the Welsh Borders to East Anglia, to keep your energy flowing.
Here at Cadent we support the Government’s plans to reach Net Zero by 2050. That means we’re backing the introduction of hydrogen as a low carbon alternative to natural gas for the future. We know people love the controllability of gas and, with our network already in place, it makes sense to switch to the lower carbon alternative offered by hydrogen, which we believe can keep homes and businesses warm for generations to come.
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