Saving energy with Wolves Foundation
This week is Energy Saving Week, offering Wolves Foundation the chance to shine a light – excuse the pun – on the work being delivered to help people in the community via the Supporting Our Pack campaign.
Energy Saving Week, delivered by the Energy Saving Trust, offers daily tips on helping people to reduce their energy use and save money.
And that forms part of the portfolio of the Foundation’s Community Connector Garry Leslie, whose work covers a range of areas to provide advice and work with other agencies to support financial wellbeing across the city.
“My role covers anything and everything to do with financial wellbeing,” Garry explains.
“That might be related to the cost of living, people who can’t afford food so we can support with food parcels or vouchers, or people who are struggling with heating bills.
“In terms of energy saving, there are different organisations we can tap into who can provide financial help with reducing bills and advice on how people can keep their homes warm.
“Each of those have different ways to support, from being able to provide loft insulation, wall cavity insulation, energy-saving light bulbs, draft excluders and heat deflectors.
“They can provide advice on mould and condensation and, in certain cases, provide help with debts and setting up payment plans.”
There are also so many other areas connected to financial wellbeing where support is potentially available, including around travel costs, IT equipment and accessing qualifications.
Garry’s work, which also comes under the banner of Building Brighter Futures, the programme funded by the Premier League Community Fund and City of Wolverhampton Council, also involves a lot of one-to-one sessions, as well as extensive visits and networking out and about in the community.
“I always try to go to as many network events as possible, link up with as many other organisations as possible, to ensure we are able to provide support,” he says.
“I have had several people tell me that they sometimes find it difficult to disclose their issues, but with the one-to-one sessions at Molineux, looking over the pitch, they feel more relaxed and will open up.
“Sometimes a person will arrive to talk about one problem, and leave having disclosed five, but more often than not, there is support available to help with them all.
“It’s all about having different ways to approach people, but also shows the power of the Wolves badge in the way the Foundation is able to encourage people to open up, and work with others across the city to provide support as a result.”
