Your support in action: Transforming lives with Greener Together

Being a social enterprise, all profit our business earns is directly gifted to our parent charity, Newground Together. This means we’re continually inspired by heartwarming stories from our charity, such as Charles’* – a shining example of the positive impact your support makes.

Facing the challenge of fuel poverty, Charles recently participated in one of Newground’s workshops; his home had no electricity due to disconnection by the energy provider, leaving Charles in a tough spot – enduring cold conditions, consuming cold meals, and dealing with emotional distress.

Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t secure assistance from his landlord, and as he didn’t have any credit on his phone, he could not contact his energy supplier.

This is where Newgrounds, Greener Together team stepped in. In Charles’s case, our team discovered that his prepayment meter was out of credit, leading to an account in debt due to standing charges. Discussions with the energy supplier revealed that Charles had overlooked cashing in his monthly vouchers from the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

Luckily, newground quickly got these vouchers reissued and immediately accompanied him to a nearby PayPoint shop, where he obtained a key for his meter, allowing him to redeem the vouchers. With the help of these vouchers, charles only needed to pay an additional £6.20 to clear his debt and regain stability.

But newgrounds help didn’t stop there. Through their Warmer Together programme, they provided Charles with essentials such as a hat, gloves, throw, and snoodie to help him endure the colder times.

One week later, Charles returned, visibly transformed. Having the opportunity to wash and clean his clothes made a world of difference in his life. His gratitude was heartfelt as he shared, ‘I cannot tell you how much your assistance has helped.’

The impact of your support extends beyond these immediate needs. We connected Charles with additional resources, including signposting to counselling services and guidance from the nearby Citizens Advice, helping him secure more fuel vouchers.

Sharn Wightman, Community Programmes Coordinator at Newground Together, remarked, ‘The difference from the first time we saw Charles is remarkable. He still faces challenges, but he is no longer living in a cold home, and he now has coping mechanisms to navigate his situation. Charles is now eager to assist others who may find themselves in similar circumstances.’

Stories like Charles’s highlight the impact of your support. Through our social enterprise model, we offer professional environment, health, and safety compliance services in a competitive market. What makes us unique is that instead of profits going to shareholders, they are gifted to our charity, Newground Together. This approach reinforces our commitment to improving lives and communities, and it’s all thanks to your support.

*not real name