We are delighted to share the news that CHS Group has been awarded £34,500 by the Government’s Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund. Funding will be allocated by the Cambridgeshire Local Assistant Scheme (CLAS) – a partnership of local charitable organisations led by CHS Group that provides support to those facing financial difficulties across Cambridgeshire.  

The funds will be distributed by 31 March as part of the CLAS Winter Fuel Assistance scheme, with vulnerable Cambridgeshire single occupancy households eligible for £100 in energy vouchers and family homes able to claim £150 in energy vouchers. 

The Government’s Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund is being delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK. Grants will support charities and community organisations in England at the frontline of dealing with the increase in the cost of living. 

CHS Group Chief Executive, Stephen Hills, said: “At CHS Group, we are dedicated to providing greater support to those facing financial insecurity. With thanks to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and The National Lottery Community Fund, we’re able to do exactly that and help local people achieve a better quality of life.  

“The ongoing cost of living crisis has meant that people in Cambridgeshire have been pushed into financial insecurity, and as a result, fuel poverty. These funds will allow us to alleviate the immense pressure on households, and provide them with vouchers needed to heat their homes.” 

Throughout 2022 to 2023, the CLAS scheme provided 317 CHS tenants and 719 people in the Cambridgeshire community with supermarket vouchers, recycled furniture, new white goods and income maximisation.