VCMA project - A Health Collaboration with National Energy Action

The Warm Homes, Healthy Futures (WHHF) is a programme of work that will connect health professionals and local public health bodies with domestic energy advice and other specialist services to improve health by supporting people to live in warm and safe homes. It is timely, much-needed, evidence-based, multi-year, and GB-wide.

The reasons for this being a single source are listed below:

• Tackling health inequalities and fuel poverty simultaneously at this scale (achieved through this project), requires the coordination of a national organisation who is connected both regionally and locally to GDNs and other trusted intermediaries within their network areas, including NHS and Local Authorities. National Energy Action (NEA) is the national fuel poverty charity and they are well established, respected and trusted, whilst also being the only supplier who can deliver this project. There is no other national supplier who has the partnerships and relationships within the energy industry that NEA currently has, to be able to achieve the outcomes set out in the project and effectively respond to this critical need
• NEA is the only supplier able to mobilise quickly, due to the partnerships and relationships they already have established. They have a long track record of delivering successfully, to establish a national programme of work that can facilitate, replicate, and coordinate models and mechanisms for delivering effective healthy housing advice, support, and interventions
• As the leading fuel poverty charity in the UK, with a unique reputation, purpose, leadership, network, and skillset - NEA is expertly placed to deliver this programme
• They also have direct links into Government and Ofgem and NEA's extensive work with these players and the health sector, industry, frontline services, and directly with the communities it represents, routinely identifies and responds to sectoral priorities and policies influencing the health agenda
• NEA represents the 6.5 million UK households unable to heat and power their homes sufficiently for good health, well-being, and comfort. NEA has decades of experience of working across all four of the Gas Distribution Network areas, delivering projects and services across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and closely with its sister charity Energy Action Scotland in Scotland. NEA represent more than 500 cross-sector members across Great Britain and is the central point for stakeholders on fuel poverty-related issues. No other supplier can achieve this level of reach and impact, from a health perspective, in the tight timeframe available.