Other News In Brief

Progressive Building Society Partners With Snugg

Progressive Building Society has partnered with Snugg, an innovative online platform, to assist their members in improving the energy efficiency of their homes.

The partnership will see the Society's Members provided with personalised home energy efficiency plans, along with access to eligible funding options to aid implementation.

Snugg aims to assist customers in lowering energy expenses by enhancing home energy efficiency, thereby reducing both carbon emissions and utility bills. With homes accounting for two-fifths of the UK’s CO2 emissions, the new Snugg partnership underscores Progressive's commitment to sustainability efforts.

Users can enter their home address into Snugg’s online platform, which identifies the specific property, evaluates potential savings, and recommends energy improvements tailored to their home.

According to research by Snugg, enhancing a home's energy efficiency could lead to annual energy bill savings exceeding £1,600, increase its market value by more than £16,000, and reduce carbon emissions by approximately 4.5 tonnes per year.

Gareth Robinson, Finance Director of Progressive Building Society, said teaming up with Snugg means Progressive can now help provide members with some of the tools and resources they may need to create more energy efficient homes. He added: "Working together to improve the energy efficiency of our members' homes will play an essential role in reducing carbon emissions."

Snugg CEO Robin Peters said: "Our collaboration with Progressive will enable their members to start their journey towards a more energy-efficient home in just a few taps,” he said.

"By making energy-efficient homes simple and affordable for everyone, we’re not only helping people save money on their energy bills but also reducing their carbon footprint which could significantly speed up the UK's transition to Net Zero. This partnership is a big step forward in our mission to create a more sustainable future for all."

SERC Hospitality And Culinary Arts Team Scoop Teaching Award

The Hospitality and Culinary Arts team at South Eastern Regional College (SERC) received a Bronze Pearson National Teaching Award.

The team, serving across Bangor, Downpatrick, Lisburn and Newtownards Campuses, earned the Bronze award in the FE Team of the Year category.

This accolade honours their commitment to the Food Poverty Project, where they have transformed their project-based learning approach from purely business enterprise to include fifty percent social enterprise initiatives. This adaptation addresses the severe food poverty affecting their local communities.

Paul Mercer, Deputy Head of School of Hospitality, and recipient of a Pearson Silver National Teaching Award in 2021, said: "We are delighted to be recognised with a Bronze Pearson National Teaching Award for FE Team of the Year. Our Food Poverty Project works with food banks, charities, businesses, and local councils, to provide unique learning opportunities for students in designing, planning, and implementing culinary projects to address food poverty in the community.

"Our PBL social enterprise projects have included providing over 2,000 fresh and pre-prepared Christmas meals for users of Bangor, Downpatrick, Lisburn, and Newtownards foodbanks, and 400 three-course Christmas dinners for vulnerable people in the North Down community. We have held demonstrations on how to feed a family of four on £5 funded by Tesco; and many other smaller scale charity events such as the Cash4Kids coffee morning fundraiser. We have also started a food education programme; getting our students to produce low-cost family favourite recipes and supporting demonstration videos, which were shared with the community and was supported by Ards and North Down Borough Council."

Belfast Mayor Announces Charities For Year Ahead

The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Micky Murray, has revealed his chosen four official charities for the upcoming year: DePaul, Inspire, Show Some Love Ltd and Oh Yeah Music Centre.

Each year, the First Citizen selects a set of charities to receive support during their tenure in office.

Meeting with representatives from each organisation at City Hall, Councillor Murray said his personal experience of supporting those coping with homelessness and addiction while working in the voluntary sector was a driving force behind his choices. He commented: "Both DePaul and Inspire do fantastic work here in Belfast – most of which goes unseen.

"Whether it’s counselling, family support or accommodation, without them, many individuals and their families would be struggling even more. As Lord Mayor, I want to highlight the many valuable services they offer and give them the opportunity to put forward what they need to be able to do their job more effectively and continue to deliver this vital support."

In addition to emphasising inclusion and diversity throughout his term, Councillor Murray found Show Some Love Ltd to be a fitting choice for his support as Lord Mayor.

The charity provides projects, events and spaces to bring people together and offer aid for those experiencing hardship. They work closely with refugees, asylum seekers, the LGBTQIA+ community and those in financial hardship and their projects include free packs of toiletries and underwear to those in need, a clothing bank and workshops focusing on textile recycling.

Councillor Murray added: "This organisation has a real ethos of inclusion that runs through all their work, and are strongly focused on reducing loneliness and isolation and improving empathy and understanding of those who are marginalised.

"Their projects are so diverse and I love their resourcefulness and hustle to take unwanted items and use creativity to turn them into something current, useful and beautiful. By getting together to share skills, they're also supporting better mental health and doing something good for the environment too."

Lord Mayor Micky Murray also selected Oh Yeah Music Centre as one of his charities, recognising its impactful role in uniting people through music. Located in the Cathedral Quarter, the venue actively engages with youth through various outreach and educational programs, collaborating with schools and youth groups throughout the city.

Mr Murray said: "I've always been impressed by the events and activities hosted by Oh Yeah and what they bring to our city.

"They work hard to develop the next generation of talent, not just on the stage, but off it too – their programmes and workshops are focused on developing the skills young people need for the world of work and empowering them to be themselves, fulfil their potential, and follow their dreams.

"I’m excited to work with all four of my charities this year and provide them with a platform to showcase their work and demonstrate their value within our city."