Beat the Cold

Beat the Cold are a Staffordshire based charity, whose aim is to reduce fuel poverty, and cold related ill health. We’re a trusted partner within Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, and surrounding areas, and have over 20 years’ experience in energy advice and support. Beat the Cold is committed to helping those who live in, or are at risk of fuel poverty, or whose health could be detrimentally affected by a cold home. We pride ourselves in going the extra mile to support every service user, regardless of the complexity of their situation. Because of our experience we provided expert witness input into the formulation of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance NG6 , “excess winter deaths and cold related ill health” which continues to be the gold standard in delivering affordable warmth work, and closely reflects our own vision and aims. We work to embed affordable warmth into normal practice, for all housing, health, and social care staff that we encounter, whilst providing them with a single point of contact, that they can trust to see a job through. We are a partner to University Hospital of North Midlands Trust, and Partners of Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust, with referrals to Beat the Cold being part of their standard operating procedures. We have partnered with the Clinical Commissioning Group to support those identified by the “Staying Well Service” in relation to fuel poverty, and cold related ill health. The hubs are being used to target those with a greater chance of being admitted to hospital during the following 12 months and incorporates a “new way of working” in health. Beat the Cold is now embedded into the health and social care environment of Staffordshire, working with both NHS and Social Care partners. Where possible Beat the Cold will work across the currently siloed environments of primary and secondary care, social care and housing, to provide a single point of contact, one stop, affordable warmth service.