A Stoke-on-Trent charity at risk of closure due to condemned boilers has been saved thanks to free sustainability support – and businesses in the city can sign up to receive similar help.
Fegg Hayes-based Chell Area Family Action Group (CAFAG) received a free audit and a grant from Groundwork West Midlands, who have a base in Burslem, as part of the Sustainable Ventures initiative.
This meant they were able to make the necessary refurbishments to their building and save on their long-term energy costs, helping to secure their future.
CAFAG charity manager Emily Taylor said: “CAFAG would like to extend a huge thank you to Groundwork for their invaluable support in providing a comprehensive energy assessment and offering advice on how we can save money as a charity.
“This support is crucial for the continuation of the vital services we provide to the community. Without this funding, the charity faced a serious risk of closure due to condemned boilers. Thanks to Groundworks, we are still here today.
“CAFAG has been serving the community for over 25 years, and with Groundworks’ help, we hope to continue for another 25 years or more, with new insights and knowledge to renew our building, save on long-term energy costs, and support the sustainability of our charity.”
In total, 30 Stoke-on-Trent organisations across the ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4 and ST6 postcodes have benefited so far from the project, and at least another 30 could be helped before March next year. All audit assessments are free following UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) funding, which community charity Groundwork was awarded from Stoke-on-Trent City Council in September 2023.
Jack Holmes, energy assessor at Groundwork West Midlands, said: “Our audits are free to access and can play a vital part in helping an organisation not only to implement more sustainable processes, but ultimately to continue running their buildings in the long run.
“We are able to advise on things such as lighting, heating, insulation and ways to reduce energy costs – which can be quite significant to the operations of a business or charity.
“In the last year we have worked with 30 different organisations across the Stoke area and have seen the benefit first hand. We are now looking to support at least another 30 before funding comes to an end in March 2025, and we welcome anyone to get in touch to see how we can help.”
Infrastructure charity VAST, who work with the voluntary sector in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire, have also received support via the Sustainable Ventures initiative for motion-activated lighting for the Dudson Centre’s stairways and toilets.
VAST are holding a free training session about Sustainable Ventures for the voluntary sector today.
