Switching service sees charities save £80,000
Melanie May | 12 August 2019 | News
An energy and communications switching service has saved charities £80,000 so far, and handed out £16,000 in grants.
Gateshead-based SwitchAid is a Community Interest Company (CIC) and gives back over 65% of its profits to good causes. It works both directly with the third sector by helping charitable organisations to cut their bills and win grant funding, and with individuals and businesses that can nominate a preferred good cause to benefit from the savings they make. When companies or individuals make a utility or communications supplier switch, SwitchAid gives its commission to the good causes registered with it.
SwitchAid.org Director Dom Ryan said:
“Our whole ethos is to generate revenue that can be redirected into the local community, cash that would normally be lost to energy and telecoms companies and consultants who keep the hefty commissions.
“As a business we choose to put our profits into good causes; as we are a registered Community Interest Company the percentage of our profits we do this with has to be 65% or over.
“SwitchAid.org is specifically designed to support the local community, improve the sustainability of third sector organisations and offer an ethical option in the energy and telecoms sectors notorious for sharp business practices.”
Charities can get online quotes for energy, telecoms, and mobile deals with SwitchAid, and in addition, the service will donate 80% of its commission for placing a charity with a supplier back to the charity.
The Ferryhill Sports & Education Centre worked with SwitchAid to re-evaluate its utility providers and saved over £14,000 through setting up new, longer-term contracts. SwitchAid also provided it with a £5,000 grant to help with the running of the facility.
YMCA North Tyneside has saved almost £24,000 and is set to receive a grant of over £680. Its Operations Manager Rachel Dyne signed up to SwitchAid.org toward the end of last year after a long standing energy contract came up for renewal.
Dyne said:
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“The money we have saved and the grant we are receiving from SwitchAid.org will go towards maintaining the valuable services we provide to the hundreds of young people who often only need a friendly face and a little extra help to get them back on track with their lives.”
Image: SwitchAid Director Dom Ryan with Rachel Dyne from YMCA North Tyneside
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.