Sheffield Mencap & Gateway – Reducing energy costs and carbon footprint through the Low Carbon Community and Culture Project

With the support of the Low Carbon Community and Culture Project, Sheffield Mencap & Gateway has made substantial strides in reducing its energy costs and carbon footprint. The charity serves over 700 individuals with learning disabilities and autism and their families from its base at Norfolk Lodge in Sheffield.

A comprehensive energy survey indicated that switching to energy-efficient lighting and upgrading the boiler and radiators could significantly reduce energy usage and carbon emissions. The Low Carbon Community and Culture Project awarded Sheffield Mencap & Gateway a £20,000 grant to enable these upgrades.

Carol Cook, Marketing, Communications, and Fundraising Manager at Sheffield Mencap & Gateway, reflected on the upgrades:

“All of these changes have made us a more sustainable organisation as they’ve allowed us to significantly reduce our carbon emissions. The other positive about these changes is that they’ve saved us a significant amount of money. We support some of Sheffield’s most vulnerable people, which is the learning disability community, and we need to keep our services affordable.”

“This grant through Business Sheffield has allowed us to reduce the costs and keep running our vital services” Carol added.

These energy-efficiency improvements not only boosted the charity’s environmental sustainability but also secured long-term financial savings, enabling Sheffield Mencap & Gateway to focus on their mission of supporting the community.