Welling United have teamed up with B&Q and former England international Jermaine Jenas to launch a new initiative by the home improvement retailer that helps community spaces become more energy efficient, showcasing simple tips that people can also implement at home to save energy.
The B&Q announcement follows an ‘urgent plea’ to the Prime Minister from a coalition of more than 200 sports governing bodies, health organisations and top athletes, asking for help with rising energy costs, to provide reassurance on the future grassroots spaces. The situation for both community spaces and households has been further aggravated with the news of reduced government support from April 1st, resulting in higher energy bills.
Owing to the current situation and as we continue to experience cold weather, B&Q has kickstarted its energy saving initiative by teaming up with Jenas to visit Park View Road to help them save energy with the ex Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and QPR midfielder helping to the B&Q team install a number of energy-saving measures and offered advice on how the club can cut energy use, detailed in a new video which can be viewed below.
As part of the announcement, B&Q is calling on the nation to enter the community spaces in their local area in need of some energy-saving advice, to win valuable help from the B&Q Energy Savers team. The B&Q Energy Savers initiative will roll out across the year, with the aim of helping dozens of community locations reduce energy costs and make other general improvements.
Wings Chairman, Paul Whitehead said: “We’re delighted to be involved with the B&Q Energy Savers initiative as its first project. As chairman, my goal is to ensure that Welling United is a hub for our community, bringing together people who love our sport. Lots of community spaces like ours are struggling with bills at the moment, so we’re grateful to the B&Q Energy Savers initiative for showing us some quick and easy fixes that will help us to save energy, at the club and in our own homes!”
Meanwhile, player-turned-presenter Jenas added: “I spent a lot of time as a kid at clubs like Welling United – they really are so integral to the community. From bonding over team activities, to engaging young children in sport, these spaces have both a social and wellbeing impact, which is why it’s so important to support them.
“The pressure community spaces are under with rising energy bills is huge. The B&Q Energy Savers initiative not only helps provide some reassurance for community spaces, but also offers advice on how people can reduce energy use in their own homes.”
As part of the campaign, B&Q is calling on the nation to enter community spaces in their local area in need of some energy-saving advice, to win help from the B&Q Energy Savers team. The B&Q Energy Savers team will then randomly select three of the nominated spaces to receive energy loving care. People can head to the B&Q Instagram page and follow the instructions on the Energy Savers grid post, to enter their local community space. For those community spaces unsuccessful in this round, the second phase of the Energy Savers initiative will see B&Q supporting many more community spaces over the next year.
B&Q also recently launched its Energy Saving Service, offering personalised guidance, making it easier to know exactly which products people need for their home and how to get work completed, to save energy. What’s more, with prices nailed down on 100 of their best-selling products for 100 days, without worrying about prices going up, B&Q has everything needed for energy-saving jobs in-store and at diy.com.
