In addition to helping people within our communities to save money on their energy bills, we at Next Energy are also passionate about finding new ways to help make a positive difference to the lives of families who are experiencing severe financial challenges resulting from the ongoing cost of living crisis.
The Impact of Fuel Poverty
Unfortunately, our team sees the impact that the cost of living crisis is having on our communities on a weekly basis when we’re working in the homes of those living in fuel poverty. We’ve seen families being forced to make impossible decisions between eating and heating, trying to ensure their family is provided for whilst working hard to make sure their money stretches as far as possible. Our team is hugely passionate about helping to change this challenging and stressful cycle and improving the lives of real people within our communities.
No one in our community should have to face going cold or hungry, which is why we are hugely grateful to be in a position where we can help families and contribute to the world of positive difference that organisations such as Knowsley Foodbank are working so hard to make every single day.
The Positive Impact of Foodbanks
The foodbank serving the Knowsley community is part of the Trussel Trust network, which comprises more than 400 foodbanks across the UK. All of them are working together to tackle the hunger and food poverty crisis that this country is facing. In the 2021/2022 financial year, the network delivered more than 2.1 million three-day emergency food supplies and additional support to people in crisis, with children accounting for more than 800,000 of these essential supplies.
The Knowsley branch of the network opened in 2011 and continues to fulfil its mission of supporting some of the 1 in 5 people in the UK currently living below the poverty line. Last year alone, the Knowsley team distributed 11,394 three-day emergency nutritionally balanced food supplies to people in crisis.
More than 90% of the food that is distributed by foodbanks across the Trussel Trust network is donated by members of the public. So, without support from individuals, organisations and businesses, the team at Knowsley simply couldn’t continue to do the vital work our communities benefit from so greatly.
Next Energy is Proud to Support Knowsley Foodbank
Our team collected, donated and hand-delivered hundreds of pounds worth of food to the Knowsley team, which is currently being distributed across nine centres throughout the borough. Vitally, the entire Trussel Trust ensures that important donations reach families in need by working hard to distribute items across the network and maintaining stock levels to properly serve the needs of each community.
The Trussel Trust has worked with certified nutritionists to ensure that all food support contains items that will provide at least three days’ worth of balanced, healthy meals. With this knowledge in mind, and after consulting with the Knowsley team about their current requirements, our team worked hard to ensure that our donation included important and much-needed non-perishable food staples, including breakfast cereals, tinned meat, tinned fish, tinned fruit and tinned pulses, rice and pasta. Our donations also include tea, coffee, biscuits and snacks, as well as sugar, pasta sauces, and soups.
As our donation was made with Easter fast approaching, our team also donated easter eggs to ensure that no families would miss out on this celebration.
Thank You to All Next Energy Clients and Customers
Foodbanks can only continue with their important work with ongoing support, which is why all of us here at Next Energy are proud to continue to extend our support to this wonderful organisation. We remain committed to continuing to doing everything we can to help ensure families within our communities are not forced to make the impossible choice between heating and eating.
Furthermore, all of us here at Next Energy would like to extend our deepest gratitude and thanks to each and every one of our clients, as the continued opportunities they provide for us to deliver programmes of work across the region allow us to continue to help make a positive difference within our communities. Together we can continue to make a real difference.
