Communities

Supporting the communities in which we live and work with a structured approach to grant-making, identifying local opportunities where we can add value, giving time and expertise to those that need it, innovative project management and fundraising.

Eaga Community Fund

To date the Eaga Community Fund (eCF) has donated over £250,000 to 53 environmental grassroots projects throughout the UK.

Our partnership with the Community Foundation continues to flourish, engaging us with many diverse projects that have a positive impact within local communities. Key to the success of this local grant-giving initiative is the formation of Eaga Partner Committees who receive training and support to assess the many applications and make challenging decisions on local grant allocation across the UK.

"Eaga has held its Community Fund with us since 2007, and has since then made significant grants to environmental projects in the North East, and contributed to Funds at Community Foundations around the country. Eaga Partners are also always willing to volunteer and take a direct interest in the projects they are supporting. Eaga's commitment to social and environmental responsibility is admirable and an excellent example of how companies can address their responsibility to their local communities." Rob Williamson, Chief Executive of the Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland

Case Study

Community Group:     RePaint Scotland
Amount Awarded:     £4,000
Project:            Initiative start-up costs, website design and vehicle livery

Roughly 56 million litres of paint a year are unused or thrown away. RePaint Scotland provides an outlet for unwanted paint by collecting unwanted and unused water based paint products from Local Authorities, landfill centres and retailers. They then sell these at low cost or donate them to groups working with low income families and homeless shelters.

The grant provided by the eCF allowed the group to pay for three months rent costs just when they needed this crucial support to put their ideas into practice and get things off the ground.

Maureen Menzies, Development Manager for RePaint Scotland sums up this community support: “Receiving this grant from the Eaga fund, through the Scottish Community Foundation, at a time when the group was really only starting out gave us a massive boost. It greatly contributed in getting the group off and running to the benefit of not only many people in the community, but also the environment as a whole.”

Case Study

Community Group:    Tyneside Cyrenians
Amount Awarded:    £3,675
Project:            Micro Combined Heat & Power Unit
            
Tyneside Cyrenians is one of the country’s most progressive homeless charities. Founded in 1970, they offer a holistic approach to the needs of the vulnerable and socially disadvantaged or excluded groups. This support ranges from direct access emergency accommodation to semi independent and independent living houses. Their day and night centres provide emergency intervention to those suffering housing crisis on a ‘drop in’ basis.

Combined Heat & Power (CHP) provides an efficient way of using mains gas to produce electricity and capture heat generated to improve the efficiency of condensing boilers. With support and a grant from the eCF, the charity were able to install cutting edge technology with the first production micro-Combined Heat & Power unit of its kind to be installed anywhere in Europe.

Tyneside Cyrenians Chief Executive, Stephen Bell said: “We are delighted with the support that the Eaga Community Fund has given us. Excess heat from our new unit will also provide all year round frost protection in our greenhouses which are part of our expanding Organic Horticulture project and in turn will help develop our in-house training facility.”

Committee provide ‘extra filling’

When the Wales Community Fund Committee reviewed Community Fund applications and found one from Mold Clubhouse, they didn’t have to draw on finances to help out.

As the largest installers of loft and cavity wall insulation in the UK, Eaga Insualtion set to work bringing the clubhouse up to current thermal insulation standards, vastly improving energy efficiency and saving scarce community funds in reduced heating costs. Mold Clubhouse Secretary Carolyn Cattermoul said: "The way Eaga jumped at this opportunity to help us was incredible – we really weren’t expecting it. Not only will we greatly reduce our energy costs, but we will also be able to offer the building for use to a wider range of groups in the community, thanks to the insulation and efficient service of the Eaga Insulation team. Our thanks go to the Commuity Fund Committee for their swift action. This winter will be very different in Mold!"

Small Steps

Following Eaga’s support of the Lee Hunt play, Pitmen Painters, and its subsequent run in the West End, we were keen to establish further links with the Arts. Working closely with young people in the North East aged 11 to 20 we helped develop performances surrounding the theme of climate change and environmental issues. The ‘Small Steps’ project ran for 12 weeks and culminated in public performances at Newcastle’s Live Theatre over the course of a weekend.  This included a series of short plays interspersed with stand up comedy.

This initiative, in partnership with Live Theatre, was awarded ‘Best Arts/Business Partnership’ at the Newcastle Journal Culture Awards. By working with our communities in creative, thought provoking ways, we help to push important environmental messages to new and diverse audiences.

"We are delighted that the relationship between Eaga and Live Theatre continues to thrive and develop. Engagement with young people is a vital part of the company’s work and the Small Steps project gave members of the youth theatre a fantastic opportunity to focus on the important issue of climate change.  Without the provision of expertise and financial support from Eaga this exciting project would not have taken place." Gillian Firth, Development Manager, Live Theatre   

Splashing Out!

Jesmond Community Swimming Pool is a stone’s throw from Eaga House in Newcastle. This long-established swimming baths was rescued from closure by a group of local residents who set up a Committee to manage the pool and keep it open to the public. Spiralling energy costs threatened closure once again until Eaga Renewables stepped in to secure grants of £37,000 from the Government-funded Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

Subsequently, Eaga installed a 61m2 array of flat plate solar thermal collectors onto the roof which not only reduced costs, but also CO2 emissions by up to seven tonnes each year – the equivalent of removing three average cars from the road. The pool’s future is safe and the pool goes from strength to strength with new classes supporting elderly and disabled residents and teaching swimming to children from low-income families – all enabled by this important development.

Glenn Armstrong, from the Jesmond Community Pool Management Committee, said: “Our pool is a wonderful community facility but with annual fuel bills getting higher each year, it was becoming too costly to continue. As a voluntary organisation we were finding it almost impossible to keep going. These solar panels will not only help keep our running costs down and customer numbers up, but as a renewable energy source they will also bring real environmental benefits.”

Contact

Tel: 0191 247 3800

Email: sr@eaga.com