ScottishPower today announced the launch of the first vulnerable customer trust fund targeted at children and young people.

The ScottishPower Energy People Trust, with an initial £1m from ScottishPower, will invite organisations that represent the disadvantaged to apply for funds that will help them provide support when it is most needed.

A board of independent trustees will administer the Trust. It will be accessed through projects specifically targeted at combating fuel poverty run by charities such as Barnardos and Women's Aid.

To allow the Trust to offer the most effective support, ScottishPower commissioned the first industry sponsored market research into fuel poverty. It asked customers, including those in fuel poverty what they would like to see from a ScottishPower Trust.

The study highlighted the need for the Trust to provide support through existing agencies and charities, and cut through potential red tape in accessing grants.  

Day-to-day operations of the Trust will be overseen by ScottishPower's recently appointed Head of External Business and Community Relations, Ann Loughrey, who previously ran Energy Action Scotland for 12 years.

She said that child poverty would be a particular focus of funding, "Many agencies we have talked to believe that support for children and young people is an area outwith the scope of current grant schemes for the fuel poor".

Describing who would benefit from the Trust Ann Loughrey said; "We see the Trust offering direct funds for agencies helping vulnerable and disadvantaged young people who are leaving care and setting up home for the first time or women and children requiring emergency housing and short term help with bills".

Eddie Folan from Children in Scotland, said: "In Scotland there are around 28,000 homes with children living in fuel poverty, which brings discomfort, ill-health and debt. We welcome any scheme designed to alleviate the misery that fuel poverty causes and hope it will reach those children and young people in Scotland. We will be interested in seeing the impact that the scheme has in improving the quality of their lives over time."

Norman Kerr, Director, Energy Action Scotland said; "Energy Action Scotland is very pleased to learn of this initiative from ScottishPower. It demonstrates ScottishPower's continued commitment to tackle fuel poverty for low income families. This initiative is especially important as it supports low income households with children who are at particular risk of fuel poverty. Many of these families fall outwith the scope of current grant programmes and this goes a long way to plugging a clearly identifiable funding gap. EAS looks forward to working with ScottishPower to make this initiative successful".

David McNeish of Citizens Advice Scotland said: "We welcome the announcement of the Scottish Power's Energy People Trust as an initiative that both recognises ScottishPower's responsibilities towards vulnerable customers and has the potential to provide real and practical support to families in difficulty."
                                

Further Information

Simon McMillan                                         0141 566 4875