Blackpool Coastal Housing has been awarded a £56,814 grant as part of a joint initiative with Cadent and the Cadent Foundation to help those living in fuel poor households and ensure they have a warm, secure and safe home.
The Warm and Healthy Homes Project is a new scheme which aims to reduce the number of cold-related deaths and illness in Blackpool by providing individuals with the tools they need to fight fuel poverty.
The £31,814 grant from Cadent is being used to provide a dedicated case worker who will work with households to provide a tailored package of support and information.
This includes providing help to access broader health and wellbeing support services, as well as offering critical money saving advice to reduce energy bills.
A £25,000 discretionary emergency fund from the Cadent Foundation,will be used to contribute towards the cost of keeping homes warm. This could include repairing or replacing heating appliances, double glazing, draught excluders, or insulation.
Over the next 12 months, the ‘Warm and Healthy Homes Project’ aims to support over 350 households that are struggling with fuel related poverty, and provide them with a warm, safe, and healthy home.
The project will also help to raise households’ awareness of other funding and services accessible to them within the Blackpool area. The aim is to leave them with an improved quality of life.
Help that will last a lifetime
John Donnellon, Chief Executive Officer at Blackpool Coastal Housing said: “The latest Fuel Poverty Statistics show that Blackpool has the largest number of households in Lancashire who are fuel poor, 15.2% compared with the national average of 10.3%. However, there is a significant gap in the support we can offer, with very little help available to improve the heating measures of those most vulnerable in our community.
"This grant is helping to meet that need and we are incredibly grateful to Cadent and the Cadent Foundation for awarding us the funding. The impact of this project will last far beyond the duration of the project itself; the improvements in health, wellbeing and financial circumstances of those most vulnerable in Blackpool will last a lifetime.”
Julia Dwyer, Director of the Cadent Foundation said: “We are delighted to be able to offer this grant to the Blackpool Coastal Housing to enable them to provide practical support to those who need it most. Many vulnerable households are facing ever increasing challenges as we head into 2022. This project will help make a real difference at such a difficult time.
“Supporting people out of fuel poverty is one of the fundamental objectives of the Cadent Foundation and initiatives like the Warm and Healthy Homes Project is helping to tackle this growing problem.”
Edward Allard, Customer Safeguarding Manager at Cadent, added: “As a gas distribution network, Cadent is uniquely placed to see the real-life impact that fuel poverty has on households not only Blackpool, but in communities across the country.
"Cadent is committed to keeping people safe and warm in their homes and we’re excited to work with Blackpool Coastal Housing and the Cadent Foundation on this innovative new project.
“The impacts of fuel poverty stand to be felt more severely this winter; and a holistic approach is needed to ensure we can help those most in need. This funding enables Blackpool Coastal Housing to provide a personalised package of support for local residents living in vulnerable situations. The project launched just before Christmas and we can already see it is having a significant impact.”