Community Challenge scheme

25th Jan 2016

Community Action Northumberland (CAN) has teamed up with Voluntary Organisations Network North East (VONNE)  Warm Up North to launch the Community Challenge scheme.

Warm Up North aims to tackle fuel poverty, whilst helping to lower energy bills and make keeping warm more affordable for thousands of homes. The partnerships comprises of nine North East Local Authorities including Darlington, Durham, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Newcastle, Northumberland, Redcar & Cleveland, South Tyneside and Sunderland and British Gas.

The Community Challenge scheme can potentially help many residents in Northumberland to reduce their energy bills by acquiring a new gas boiler, and helping a local community organisation along the way.

Local community groups can benefit by referring potentially eligible people for free gas boilers, subject to eligibility and survey. This means residents can speak to someone from an organisation they trust before they move forward into the scheme.

Selected charities and community groups will be able to refer people to VONNE who will then forward to Warm Up North. For every successful gas boiler installed the selected charity or group will receive a £40 award from Warm Up North to reinvest in their community projects.

Stuart Margerrison, at British Gas, said: “Warm Up North has already helped more than 3,000 households with over 3,700 new boilers and insulation measures.

“We’re pleased to offer charities the opportunity to work with us to help people who really need a new gas boiler whilst also being in with the chance to receive £40 for every successful installation. We want to help as many people as possible in the area to benefit from this great community scheme.”


Any local charities or community groups can express an interest to be considered for the Community Challenge by contacting Christine Nicholls 01289 304141 or christinenicholls@ca-north.org.uk