Employees from Engenera Renewables Group, one of the UK’s leading renewable energy companies, will sleep rough for a night in August to raise money for North East Homeless, a charity close to the company’s heart, which it is also making its official charity for the next 12 months.
North East Homeless helps and supports vulnerable and homeless individuals in the North East of England. Several staff and partners from Engenera hope to raise substantial funds for the charity, while also raising awareness of the challenges and hardships faced by people living on the streets.
Engenera has previously helped the charity in other ways. The charity also operates the Fish Quay Hub, a café and venue, which it uses to provide training, support and employment to the people it helps. In 2020, Engenera partnered with Mitsubishi and other companies to help transform what was a dilapidated warehouse into the amazing space it is today.
As part of that project, which included the installation of electrics, lighting and heating, Engenera installed a brand-new Air Source Heat Pump, heating units, and radiators free of charge for the charity, meaning the new space now runs using green energy, saving it money and reducing its carbon footprint in the process.
Lloyd Lawson, Chief Strategy Officer, Engenera, said:
“North East Homeless has been a charity close to our heart for some time – we were delighted to help them create what is now an amazing space in the Fish Quay Hub, which also plays such an important role for the vulnerable and homeless in the region. Sleeping rough for a night will represent a tough reminder of the hardships homeless people face; we hope to raise some important funds for the charity in the process.”
Brian Burridge, founder of North East Homeless, said:
“We were delighted when we learned that Engenera would again be helping us. We use the Air Source Heat Pump on a daily basis, saving us money but also helping us live up to our ethos of sustainability.
“Everything in our Hub is sustainable; we aim to save furniture or equipment which was previously going to land-fill, and to ensure we’re energy efficient, mindful of our carbon footprint and so on.”
NEH not only provides a safe space for so many people, but carries out outreach nights across the North East 3-nights a week, to provide warm food and drinks, advice on organisations who may be able to provide assistance in accommodation and so much more.