NEW FUNDING AWARDED!
NAVIGATE CIO HAS BEEN AWARDED £795,530 OF FUNDING FROM THE BRITISH GAS ENERGY TRUST TO CONTINUE VITAL MONEY AND DEBT ADVICE AND FINANCIAL EDUCATION SERVICES UNTIL 2026
The British Gas Energy Trust is investing around £13m to help people in or close to fuel poverty by funding 38 frontline money and energy advice services across Britain.
Now in its 20th year, the Trust has helped more than £2.2 million people across the UK with energy debt grants, funded money and energy advice services and emergency fuel vouchers. In the last 12 months, the Trust has written off £5.2 million worth of energy debt and provided £20.5 million in grants to help those struggling with energy costs.
Navigate CIO has received £795,530 from the Trust, to deliver vital support to local communities in Mid and North Devon and Somerset over the next two years.
The Trust awarded the funding following a nationwide mapping exercise which identified organisations that are best placed to help people avoid the burden of energy debt and make better informed energy and money management choices.
More than six million households across the UK remain in fuel poverty. With this funding, Navigate CIO through the Wis£rmoney Partnership, hopes to continue supporting vulnerable individuals and families with free, face-to-face, confidential money and debt advice and financial education workshops, with the aim to support 2000 people.
Roxi Reeder, BGET Partnerships Lead of Navigate was thrilled with the award saying:
“We have built a really good relationship with British Gas Energy Trust. As a funder they understand the need for face-to-face support in an increasingly digital age when some people just cannot access telephone or online services. The complexity of our clients often affected by poor mental health means that our support must be tailored to the individual. British Gas understands how this can affect service delivery and the flexibility required in truly capturing the impact of our work. We are so pleased to have been successful in this new round of funding, enabling Navigate and the Wis£rmoney partnership to continue building financial education skills and giving our clients hope where there once may not have seemed to be any.”
Jessica Taplin, CEO of the British Gas Energy Trust, said:
“I am thrilled that the Trust can continue this essential support across Britain. These funded money and energy advice services address root causes of fuel poverty such as poor money management and home energy inefficiency with an increased focus on the holistic support of increasingly complex cases and energy advice. With this funding commitment of £13m over the next two years an estimated 35,000 people across Britain will have access to these key frontline services in the heart of their community, with 60% receiving the critical in-depth support they need, thanks to Trust funded projects like Zinthiya Trust in Leicester or Bromley by Bow Centre in London.”
About British Gas Energy Trust
The British Gas Energy Trust is an independent Charitable Trust established in 2004 and independent from, but solely funded by, British Gas. Its mission is to alleviate the detrimental impact of poverty, with a focus on fuel poverty. Support is delivered through three programmes: debt relief grants which can help households with up to £2,000 in fuel debt; a small grants programme that provides emergency energy vouchers and payments; and a programme that funds over 40 money and energy advice projects throughout Britain.
Navigate has been a charitable incorporated organisation since 2019 operating in the money and debt advice sector originally through Wessex Resolutions CiC. Their mission is to alleviate poverty and build financial education skills across the South West through compassionate, knowledgeable and person-centred services delivered in collaboration with partner agencies.