Partnership pledges to help England's vulnerable
03 Feb 2010 
National / CR / HTW
npower Health Through Warmth and the Trustees of the Foundations Independent Living Trust are delighted to announce that they will be working in partnership to help improve levels of warmth and comfort for vulnerable people who experience cold and damp related illnesses in England.
The Trust, set up in 2002 to help vulnerable people stay independent in their own homes, will now hold and administer an npower Health Through Warmth Crisis Fund, to help finance heating and insulation measures for home improvement agency clients with cold and damp related illnesses, such as cardiovascular and respiratory disease.
Applications to the Foundations Independent Living Trust can be made by home improvement agencies for clients whose health is made worse by cold and damp living conditions, and they are unable to fund the measures themselves and don’t qualify for statutory grants or they have a grant excess to pay.
The partnership enables npower Health Through Warmth to reach beyond the 15 areas of England and Wales in which it currently operates, helping a greater number of vulnerable people whose health is adversely affected by cold and damp living conditions due to inadequate heating and insulation.*
Elaine Midwinter, Health Through Warmth manager, commented: “The Health Through Warmth scheme and the Foundations Independent Living Trust have very similar objectives. Working together, we hope to dramatically increase both the numbers, and geographical reach, of people we are helping.”
Sir George Young, Chair of the Foundations Independent Living Trust, adds: “Our mission is to help vulnerable people to live with dignity in their own homes. By working with npower Health Through Warmth we can assist vulnerable home improvement agency clients who need financial support towards heating and insulation in their homes. We’re delighted to be working in partnership with such an established scheme.”
Notes to Editors:
*npower’s Health Through Warmth scheme was set up in 2000 in partnership with the NHS and National Energy Action (NEA) and operates in the following 15 areas:
Birmingham
Dudley
East Riding
Leeds
Leicester
Merseyside
Newark & Sherwood
Newcastle
Staffordshire
Swindon
Telford & Wrekin
Vale of Glamorgan
Walsall
Wolverhampton
Wrexham & Flintshire
Issued on behalf of npower Health Through Warmth by McCann Erickson PR, Communications House, Highlands Road, Shirley, Solihull, B90 4WE
For further information, contact Rebecca Wallace on 0121 713 3787 or Kate Dawson on 0121 713 3878. Email: Rebecca.wallace@europe.mccann.com or kate.dawson@europe.mccann.com
For further information on npower, contact Nick McHugh on 01905 340 854 or email Nicholas.mchugh@npower.com
For further information on Foundations Independent Living Trust, contact Malcolm Ramsay on 0845 864 5210 Email: mramsay@cel.co.uk website: www.foundationstrust.org.uk
Notes for editors:
What are Home Improvement Agencies (HIAs)?
Home improvement agencies assist vulnerable homeowners and private sector tenants who are older, disabled or on a low income to repair, improve, maintain or adapt their homes. They are local, not-for-profit organisations.
There are approximately 230 home improvement agencies in England, and over 90% of residents in England have access to a home improvement agency. They are sometimes known as care and repair or staying put schemes.
By improving people's living conditions, HIAs enhance their quality of life and enable them to remain in their home in greater comfort and security. They also offer a wide range of services, providing advice to clients and have become involved with many local authority schemes. For example:
• Advice and advocacy - Helping clients identify and address problems with their home
• Financial issues - Ensuring clients receive appropriate independent financial advice, and offering practical help, such as filling in forms or checking that they are receiving all the benefits to which they are entitled
• Technical support - Providing assurance that repairs will be undertaken satisfactorily, to budget and on time
• Making links - HIAs make links and build partnerships in order to provide an effective service to their clients - working with, for example, local authority housing and grant officers, occupational therapists, health workers, social services and local voluntary services.
How do I find my nearest HIA?
Visit www.foundations.uk.com to use the online searchable directory, or telephone Foundations on 0845 864 5210.
What is Foundations?
Foundations is the National Body for Home Improvement Agencies in England. Foundations is appointed by Communities and Local Government to:
• develop and expand HIA services
• provide advice, training and support to HIA staff, managing organisations and sponsoring authorities, and
• represent the HIA sector in discussion with government and other stakeholders.
For further information or comment:
Foundations Director Steve Malone is available for interview or further comment. Case studies of HIA services across the country are also available. For more information, contact Malcolm Ramsay on 0845 864 5209 or 07540 122738 email mramsay@cel.co.uk
For more information contact:
The npower Health Through Warmth scheme operates in 15 areas of England and Wales, listed above, and works in partnership with Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and local authorities within the areas. Vulnerable residents in Health Through Warmth areas can be assessed for help through the scheme, regardless of whether or not they are an npower customer, provided they have a cold or damp related illness and they are referred by a community worker who has attended a Health Through Warmth awareness session. For further details about the areas the scheme operates in or more information about Health Through Warmth please visit www.healththroughwarmth.com or email healththroughwarmth@npower.com. Join the energy industry discussion on npower's interactive debating website the brighter energy debate where you can post your questions, views and comments. You can also check out our Youtube channel.