Hundreds of local families receive vital support from The ScottishPower Energy People Trust
Choices, One Parent Families Scotland’s Glasgow service, is throwing open its doors today (4 April) for a day to celebrate the achievements of lone parents.
The “Family Celebration” Day will be a chance for local people to hear about the services the charity offers which include the Family Power Project. The project is funded by the ScottishPower Energy People Trust which has given the charity £50,000, to enable them to reach over 500 families.
The project offers parents information and advice on how to make their homes more energy efficient so they can save on their fuel bills, as well as offering welfare benefits & family finance services to ensure parents are receiving all the support they are entitled to.
Guests will include local MSP Bob Doris as well as local councillors for the Maryhill area who will hear first-hand from families who have benefited from the free advice and information.
Choices run lone parent hubs throughout the city on a weekly basis. The North West Hub is held in the Avenue Park Street Community Centre, where the Family Power Project is based, staffed by dedicated rights advisors and support workers who are available for free and impartial advice and support. Local lone parents can access training and confidence building courses. The charity also offers crèche facilities for families so parents can get the advice they need and support from other parents knowing that their children are being cared for.
Ann Loughrey, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at ScottishPower said: ‘The ScottishPower Energy People Trust is pleased to help support Choices and the Family Power Project, because the work that it does offers vital advice and support for hundreds of families in the Glasgow area. All the support workers and advisors do a fantastic job, and provide an excellent service for the local community.”
Satwat Rehman, Director of OPFS said: ‘Child poverty blights three out of four areas of Glasgow, and the city has the worst child poverty in Scotland. There are 27,900 Lone Parents with around 43,000 children and almost two thirds are on very low incomes. In this challenging climate, it is vital that these low income families receive the right advice at the right time on their fuel costs. We are delighted to have received funding from the ScottishPower Energy People Trust which has enabled our locally based services to make a real difference to the lives of families by giving advice on reducing fuel costs & managing household debts.’
Glasgow MSP Bob Doris said: ‘It is crucial that lone parents get as much advice and support as possible to assist them and their children. I have witnessed first-hand how One Parent Families Scotland offer that support, having spoken to a number of parents in the Maryhill area who value greatly the assistance on offer. I pay tribute to funders such as the ScottishPower Energy People Trust who seek to support such vitally important local service.’
For further information or interviews please contact:
Jenny Stewart, Stripe Communications
T: 0131 561 8628 / scottishpower@stripecom.co.uk
About The ScottishPower Energy People Trust
The ScottishPower Energy People Trust funds registered charities that help people whose lives are affected by fuel poverty. Since forming in November 2005, the Trust has provided over £11.4 million to 236 projects across Britain, helping more than 1.5 million people. The Trust is funded by ScottishPower and voluntary donations from independent supporters.
Decisions to award funding are made independently of ScottishPower by an experienced Board of Trustees who have a special interest in fuel poverty. They include representatives from Energy Action Scotland and National Energy Action.
The ScottishPower Energy People Trust is an independent charity established to help end fuel poverty in Britain. Please note funding is not available to individuals, only charitable organisations.