News Release: Leaving a Legacy – 25 Years of Eaga Charitable Trust

15 October 2019

Introducing the Fuel Poverty Library:

Leaving a Legacy – 25 Years of Eaga Charitable Trust

House of Lords Reception

Lord Whitty is tomorrow hosting a reception at the House of Lords to launch Eaga Charitable Trust’s new Fuel Poverty Library.  For over 25 years, the Eaga Charitable Trust has been the leading grant-giving trust dedicated to supporting fuel poverty research. Over £3m has been donated to support over 100 projects, generating and sharing knowledge, influencing policy and providing solutions.  

Eaga Charitable Trust will be closing at the end of 2019. This reception will mark this occasion and showcase the range of work that the Trust has supported over 25 years.  The Trust will also be launching a new online research archive and a range of resources, directed at policy makers and practitioners, to ensure that the Trust’s impact continues into the future.

Guest speaker at the event will be the Rt Hon John Healey MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Housing.  Other speakers will include: Eaga Charitable Trust’s founding trustee, Dr John Clough MBE; the Trust’s Chair, David Kidney;  Simon Roberts OBE, Chief Executive of the Centre for Sustainable Energy;  Dr Aimee Ambrose, Reader in Energy Policy, Centre for Regional, Economic  and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University;  and Dr Graeme Sherriff, Associate Director, Sustainable Housing and Urban Studies Unit, University of Salford. 

David Kidney, Chair of Eaga Charitable Trust, said “Over the last quarter of a century, Eaga Charitable Trust has repeatedly set the agenda, funding seminal research into the causes of and solutions for fuel poverty and encouraging its dissemination and practical application.  This body of knowledge has been extremely impactful: influencing policymakers, building the evidence base and pushing the boundaries in developing and delivering solutions that make a difference to the lives of people, households and communities across the UK and beyond.  Whilst we are sorry that our Trust is closing, we are very proud that we are leaving behind such a valuable and substantial legacy of work.“

The Trust’s legacy project was conducted by the Sustainable Housing and Urban Studies Unit at the University of Salford.  The research team was led by Dr Graeme Sherriff who explained: “The online Fuel Poverty Research Library presents the entirety of the Trust’s outputs in a very accessible form. We have also produced a series of fun animations, and topic guides for policymakers with key lessons over 25 years of research. Our legacy project also looks to the future of fuel poverty research, identifying and prioritising fields of enquiry.”  

The Fuel Poverty Library and all the Trust’s legacy resources can be found at: www.fuelpovertylibrary.info

Notes to Editors

1. The Eaga Charitable Trust is an independent grant-giving trust that supports research and community-based projects which focus on understanding and addressing the causes and effects of fuel poverty. The Trust was founded by Eaga in 1993.  Eaga donated over £3.3 million to the Trust, which the Trust has used to give grants for action and research projects. 
2. Photos of the event will be available from Naomi Brown, Trust Manager – contact details below. 
3. For further information about the Trust and the archive and legacy project, contact Naomi Brown, Trust Manager: e-mail eagact@aol.com; tel. 01539 736477; Trust website: www.eagacharitabletrust.org. Fuel Poverty Library website: www.fuelpovertylibrary.info