Festive haul: Cadent gives a special Christmas gift to help fund dementia helpline

  • Cadent gives Alzheimer’s Society £10,000 Christmas gift
  • Money will help fund National Dementia helpline
  • Latest donation brings Cadent close to the £100,000 it has pledged to raise for Alzheimer’s Society 
Christmas is traditionally a time for gift giving and Cadent has stepped into play Santa Claus early with a £10,000 gift to its official charity, the Alzheimer’s Society.
 
The gift will be used to directly fund the National Dementia Helpline (0300 222 1122) which provides support and advice to over 750 people every week. In 2017 the helpline responded to over 42,000 calls from people affected by dementia who had called for help. 
 
Cadent is now is the second year of its partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society, which became the company’s official charity in 2017. The festive donation is the icing on the Christmas cake after an impressive year of fundraising, and it brings Cadent very near to meeting the pledge it made to raise £100,000 for the charity by summer 2019. 
 
Cadent’s CEO, Chris Train, said, “Supporting our communities and working with vulnerable customers is something we do every day at Cadent. 
 
“Over 2000 employees from contact centre staff to engineers in the field, including me, are now Dementia Friends making us all more aware of what living with dementia is like so that we can turn that understanding into action.  This £10,000 donation to the National Dementia Helpline is absolutely the perfect way to continue making a difference.”
 
The Dementia Friends training helps ensure that all aspects of Cadent’s operations help support both those with dementia and those caring for someone who has dementia. This is especially poignant over the winter period which sees increasing calls from the public to Cadent.
 
One example of Cadent’s dementia friendly approach is its ongoing provision of free lockable cooker valves. These enable carers to isolate the gas supply to cookers when they are not there, meaning those with dementia may be able to enjoy Christmas dinner in their homes.
 
Cadent Social Responsibility Specialist, Laura Barnes added: “Cadent manages the National Gas Emergency Service number which receives usually thousands of calls from people over the festive season regarding gas emergencies.
 
“This Christmas we’re delighted to also be making a different kind of difference to people’s lives by donating £10,000 to the National Dementia Helpline.”
 
She added: “The money will mean we are supporting over 850 people and their families for a year, who may call the National Dementia Helpline for support. 
 
“Every call that is received is different and could be from someone who has just received a diagnosis and is trying to cope with the information on their own, or from a family member who is struggling to support a loved one.”
 
The National Dementia Helpline is 0300 222 1122, for more on the Alzheimer’s Society visit https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/
 
For more information on Cadent’s work with the Alzheimer’s Society visit
https://cadentgas.com/about-us/corporate-social-responsibility
 
For more on lockable cooker valves and how to apply for one visit https://cadentgas.com/emergencies-safety/safeguarding/locking-cooker-valves
 
  • The Priority Services Register (PSR) is a FREE service to help people who are living in vulnerable situations. Especially those who have extra communication, access or safety needs. For more information or to let Cadent know if you are concerned about a gas user who may be in vulnerable situation call 0345 835 1111, more information on the PSR can also be found at https://cadentgas.com/help-advice/supporting-our-customers/priority-services-register 
     
  • Suspected gas escapes should be reported on 0800 111 999* (Calls are recorded and may be monitored) 
 
ENDS
 

Cadent

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. 

Future of Gas: 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.

Cadent manages the national gas emergency service free phone line on behalf of the gas industry - 0800 111 999*

Cadent Gas Ltd is owned by a consortium of global investors.

*All calls are recorded and may be monitored.

Media contacts

Ben Green

Ben.Green1@cadentgas.com

07773 122925