By IW Galleries
The Isle of Wight Footprint Trust has won the 2020 Vulnerable Customer Support Campaigner of the Year accolade in the regional Energy Efficiency Awards.
Speaking about the Award, Ray Harrington-Vail, the general manager of the charity, said: “Our clients are people in fuel poverty living on the Isle of Wight, one of the highest areas of poverty in the South East, at around 11per cent. The Island has higher than average number of older people, many of whom are vulnerable. This is coupled with high levels of child poverty at around 30 per cent. Higher than average amounts of illiteracy and innumeracy is also an issue. Much of the housing stock is old and poorly insulated.”
The Footprint Trust charity has been helping fuel poor people on the Isle of Wight since 2003. This has been achieved through a number of projects, offering tailored guidance and information.
The Footprint Trust received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service 2013 for innovative work helping the community. It is also the recipient of the National Energy Action Award for inclusivity 2018 and has two Big Energy Saving Network energy champions among its staff.
Isle of Wight Observer