In March 2012, Severn Wye Energy Agency hosted the Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire Affordable Warmth Summit at Forest Green Rovers Football Club in Nailsworth.
Councillors, local authorities, third sector organisations and delivery partners were invited and over 70 people attended the event. The event was an opportunity to celebrate the success of the Warm & Well programme that has seen over 33,000 homes made easier to keep warm in Gloucestershire over the last 10 years. It was also an opportunity for all partners to contribute to the development of the new Affordable Warmth delivery plan, which aims to set out how the objectives of the Affordable Warmth Strategy will be delivered on the ground.
Kaye Welfare, Assistant CEO of Severn Wye said:
'This was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the effective partnership working that has enabled so many affordable warmth measures to be installed in homes. It also helped to highlight the scale of what now needs to be achieved. It is important that we are able to build on the successes and adapt our approach to work with clients to live in properties that are more complicated to improve'.
Jon Beckett of Stroud District Council and Chair of the Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire Affordable Warmth Partnership said:
'With fuel poverty affecting over 5 million people in the UK it is vital that we continue to focus on local delivery and the importance of strategic planning to make sure that we can make the biggest impact on reducing fuel poverty. With the Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation replacing CERT and Warm Front over the next year partners will need to work closely together to ensure we reach those most in need informing them on what help is available'.
Some pictures from the summit...