30th November 2011 - SAFER HOMES FOR OLDER PEOPLE - Electrical Safety Council (ESC) grant £15K to Welsh Care & Repair Agencies

30th November 2011

November 2011

SAFER HOMES FOR OLDER PEOPLE

Electrical Safety Council (ESC) grant £15K to Welsh Care & Repair Agencies

 

Four Care & Repair Agencies operating in Ynys Mon, Flintshire, Blaenau Gwent and Cardiff have been granted a total of £15K from the Electrical Safety Council (ESC), to carry out essential electrical work in the homes of vulnerable older people in Wales. The funding has been made available through the ESC’s Home Improvement Grants Scheme, which supports local organisations to help vulnerable groups to live safely in their homes.

 Care & Repair agencies actively work to ensure that all older people have homes that are safe, secure and appropriate to their needs and for the four agencies that will receive the funding, the extra £15k will go a long way towards achieving this goal.   

In addition to providing funding for essential, minor electrical work which supports safety and well-being, the ESC scheme is also designed to help in emergency situations, such as undertaking repairs which might aid a return home from – or prevent prolonged admission to hospital, saving millions of pounds to NHS and social service budgets every year. The type of work undertaken can range from repairing lighting to checking the safety of electrical appliances.

 Commenting on the awards Chris Jones, Managing Director of Care & Repair Cymru said: “The ESC grant will allow us to respond rapidly to some potentially very dangerous situations, as we are seeing an increase in calls from older people who are unable to afford the cost of electrical work. But it is not just about repairing people’s homes; it’s also about peace of mind and improved quality of life.”

 Editors’ Notes:

  • The Electrical Safety Council is a UK charity committed to reducing deaths and injuries caused by electrical accidents at home and at work.
  • Last year, a total of £80K was awarded to 17 organisations through the ESC’s Home Improvement Grants Scheme, with 662 households benefitting from the funding made available.

 Care & Repair Cymru is a member of Community Housing Cymru Group and the national body for Care & Repair in Wales - the Older People’s Housing Champion. 

  • The 22 Care & Repair Agencies across Wales help older people to remain living in their own homes with increased independence and dignity. This is achieved by carrying out and facilitating adaptations, repairs and improvements for older people in their own homes. 
  • The agencies have received the following funding:
  1. Gofal a Thrwsio Ynys Mon: £5k
  2. Flintshire Care & Repair: £2.5K
  3. Blaenau Gwent Care & Repair: £5k
  4. Care & Repair Cardiff: £2.5K