Our projects
Strong partnerships have been key to creating the opportunities through which we have delivered our projects, directly with client partners, with community groups, Community Interest Companies (CIC) and not-for-profits. We will continue to start conversations with new potential partners, and create opportunities to deliver exciting new projects with those we have already worked with.
We are proud that we have been able to work with 29 partners over the two years that we have delivered our work, and we continue to believe that in uniting our experience, passion, resources and ambition with the abilities and unique perspectives of partners who share our aspirations, we can make a difference to many communities across the UK.
Helping Chelmer Housing Partnership deliver Winter Warmer Packs to vulnerable residents
The Sureserve Foundation was happy to assist Chelmer Housing Partnership, with a number of Winter Warmer Packs for residents identified at being at risk during October 2022. The contents included blankets, hot water bottles, a thermal cup, LED bulbs, hot chocolate, tea, biscuits, winter stripping tape, hats, damp and mould moisture absorber, and Sureserve Foundation advice & guidance booklets.
Energy Efficiency advice & guidance for Zink
The Foundation was happy to support Zink, an organisation providing emergency food parcels and energy saving workshops for residents in Derbyshire, providing them with energy efficiency advice & guidance booklets for residents struggling with fuel poverty.
Paul Bohan at Zink told us about one instance that the energy efficiency advice had really made a difference. “One family who had been using our foodbank because of higher energy costs took the booklet from our energy adviser. We didn't see them for a few weeks then they came in to use the cafe and told us they'd followed the guidance. The mother told our energy adviser Jane, pictured) she didn't need a food parcel that week because she'd done what was suggested and the cost of her energy had gone down.”
To find out more about Zink and the great work that they do visit https://zink.org.uk
Emergency Fuel Vouchers for vulnerable households
In October, the Foundation was awarded grant funding from the Energy Redress Scheme, managed by the Energy Saving Trust, to deliver emergency fuel vouchers to individuals and households in need across the UK.
The Foundation worked with a number of the Sureserve Group’s housing and local authority clients to identify households who were at risk of self-disconnection and who had been adversely affected by fuel poverty in a variety of ways.
Funding for the Salvation Army homelessness help
In the UK the Salvation Army are the largest provider of welfare services after the Government.
Their Homelessness Service Unit (HSU) in Scotland is accessed by 1,959 people each year, including 644 people who receive housing support from the charity, but who are responsible for paying for their own gas and electricity costs.
The Sureserve Foundation supported the Salvation Army’s HSU, with a grant of £5,000, which will be used to assist individuals and households experiencing fuel poverty, providing small grants to clients who are struggling to afford energy top-ups and energy advice and materials to support fuel poverty education to help reduce the need of people seeking funding and assistance.
Grant to Depher, a CIC providing emergency plumbing and heating
Depher CIC (Disabled and Elderly Plumbing and Heating Emergency Response Community Interest Comapny) support approximately 50-70 individuals and families each week, and since 2017 have helped over 6400 families in need; responding to over 3000 emergency breakdowns, providing over 100 free boilers and fitting 8 disabled bathrooms.
The organisation is totally dependent on fundraising, and the grant money offered through the Foundation has helped to assist with the continued provision of both free or heavily discounted services, which in turn allows the individuals and households that they support the opportunity to spend the money they have saved on important household costs, such as energy bills and food.
Metropolitan Thames Valley receive funding for residents' hampers
A key client for Aaron Services, Metropolitan Thames Valley, launched their Christmas hamper campaign, to help ‘make Christmas happen’ for residents who had been adversely impacted by Covid-19.
Due to the pandemic, MTVH had seen arise in unemployment and financial hardship disproportionately affect their residents and local communities, and through their Christmas campaign, they hoped to support families through the provision of Christmas food Hampers and small gifts.
Together, with Aaron Services, the Foundation made a financial contribution to the campaign and Aaron operatives volunteered to help with the delivery of the hampers in the lead-up to the festive period.
Supporting Salix Homes and Salford4Good to help communities
Salix Homes is a key client of Sure Maintenance, and is a not-for-profit social housing provider based in Salford, Greater Manchester, who put their customers at the heart of everything they do, from investing in homes and communities, to how they provide their services. Salford4Good is a charity that supports local charities and community groups who are helping to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of people living in Salford. It has also become a trusted route for people to support Salford City's emergency response to the coronavirus crisis. The funds will be used locally throughout the city, to directly help those most in need.
Grant to Wandle Housing Association
The strain on families during this period has been substantial, and having listened to their residents, Wandle has put in place the Helping Hand Fund, available to Wandle residents who are struggling financially during these unexpected, challenging times. The fund is an enhanced version of an existing assistance initiative that aims to support residents by providing vouchers for food and other household items from supermarkets, furniture, carpets, washing machines, essential white goods and even technology as internet access is essential for universal credit and other online services.
It is hoped that the grant from the Sureserve Foundation will go some way to enabling Wandle to continue its important support of their residents who need it most.
Supporting The Guinness Partnership
The Guinness Partnership are a national housing provider, operating in 155 local authorities across England, and are a key Client for Sure Maintenance, K&T Heating and Allied Protection.
Guinness are currently receiving 500 plus, referrals per week from residents that are experiencing financial crisis due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, and one of a number of ways that they are offering their residents support, is through the supply of much needed food vouchers and energy top-ups, to assist with their gas and electric bills.
As such, the Foundation have offered support towards Guinness Parternship’s Hardship Fund, and it is hoped that the funding will go some way to helping residents in need, with food and energy costs, during this extremely difficult period.
Award to Bristol based not-for-profit C.H.E.E.S.E
The C.H.E.E.S.E Project (Cold Homes Energy Efficiency Survey Experts) is an award-winning CIC that has worked for five years in Bristol, engaging local communities and householders to improve the energy efficiency of housing by making energy-loss visible. Through the development of their own innovative, low cost thermal imaging equipment, they are able to reveal precisely where domestic heat is lost in fuel poor households. Their unique thermal imagery surveys then enable householders to reduce wasted heat and achieve warmer, healthier homes, which in turn help to save carbon emissions, through the implementation of closely-targeted, cost-effective remedies often using low-cost DIY methods.
Fuel poverty is likely to be worsened by the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 epidemic, but with the support of the Foundation, the C.H.E.E.S.E Project now have the opportunity to expand their operation encouraging and enabling highly targeted remedial action at low cost and with rapid pay-back in reduced energy bills. To respond to the urgent need to retrofit homes to combat both fuel poverty and carbon emissions, TCP will utilise the money from the Foundation to enhance and strengthen its training provision.
