Chorley community laundry service opens to help families battling fuel poverty and damp conditions
Inspire Youth Zone and Cadent have launched a new community laundry service in Chorley to support vulnerable families affected by fuel poverty, damp and mould, while providing energy and benefits advice.
A new community laundry service has launched in Chorley to support children, young people and families living in vulnerable situations or mould and damp-affected homes.
Inspire Youth Zone in Chorley has been selected as the latest Warm Wash Centre that Cadent, the UK’s largest gas distribution network, has opened. It will be used to ensure families living in vulnerable situations are provided with additional support, through discreet and tailored help with washing and drying clothes as part of Inspire Youth Zone’s existing services.
Janine Blythe, CEO at Inspire Youth Zone Chorley, said: “Many of the families who step foot into our doors do not want others to know they are struggling. The new facilities provided to us by Cadent will allow us to provide practical support, subtly, to ensure those who are perhaps struggling in silence have the help they need.”
The new service extends Cadent and Inspire Youth Zone’s partnership. As a Cadent Centre for Warmth, Inspire Youth Zone’s team members are trained to deliver energy efficiency advice and carbon monoxide safety tips, to ensure those living in fuel poverty are supported year-round.
Cadent’s recent research revealed that over three in five people (63%) have reported severe mould problems in their homes, illustrating the significant health and safety risks for households. Additionally, almost one third of people (29%) turn their heating to uncomfortably low temperatures to cut costs, a contributing factor to the growth of damp and mould.
The research also found that two in three people (66%) struggle to wash and dry basic household items like clothes, sheets and towels, while one in three (33%) have reported worsening damp in their homes over the past year.
In Chorley, just over one in ten households live in fuel poverty (11%), according to National Energy Action. The new Cadent Warm Wash Centre has been designed to offer relief for those living in vulnerable situations. While users wash their clothes and wait for them to dry, they will be supported by the trained energy advisers at Inspire Youth Zone, who will be able to share tips and advice on how to make their home more energy efficient all year round.
Benefits support will also be available, where the advisers will be able to assess current applications and identify if there are any unclaimed benefits available. Carbon monoxide advice will also be available.
Nicola Campbell, Safeguarding Specialist at Cadent, said: “Nobody should have to choose between staying warm, keeping their home dry or protecting their health. Our research shows that there are too many families trapped in conditions that are unacceptable. Damp and mould aren’t just housing issues, they are issues of safety and wellbeing. We are proud to expand our support to Inspire Youth Zone in Chorley, which is already one of our Centres for Warmth, to ensure children, young people and families are supported.”