Halton Housing Trust is hosting a launch event to support local campaigner Lynn Griffiths as she embarks on the second annual Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week.
The charity CO-Awareness is setting out on a UK tour to highlight the dangers of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning not being recognised and launched their campaign at the Trust’s headquarters on Friday 12 October 2007.
The Trust first came into contact with Runcorn-based Lynn when it ran its own gas safety campaign and her group actively helped the Trust in raising awareness of the issue amongst its 6200 customers. The Trust has been working closely with the campaign group ever since.
Over the last 12 months the Trust has funded the printing of 30,000 CO-Awareness leaflets and donated £1,300 from the Trust’s Community Sponsorship Fund. It has also worked alongside Lynn to lobby for changes to the existing legislation to allow landlords to speed up the process to enable them to meet their obligations as a landlord and safeguard the health and safety of their customers
CO-Awareness is keen to work with other housing associations and building contractors operating in the North West. This event provided Lynn with an opportunity to make contact with representatives from these organisations.
Lynn Griffiths, president and co-founder of CO-Awareness, said: “Awareness is the key factor to preventing carbon monoxide poisoning and it is my aim to reach as many people as possible, particularly in my local area.
“I am extremely grateful to the Trust for hosting the event and the support they have given CO-Awareness over the last 12 months. It is my aim to work closely with other housing associations and building contractors in the future to raise awareness of the dangers of the silent killer.”
Social landlords, like Halton Housing Trust, have a legal duty to carry out an annual service and safety checks of all gas appliances and takes this responsibility very seriously. Gas Safety is a real priority for the Trust and the organisation is delighted to be lending its support to such a worthwhile cause.
The Trust has also pledged to install carbon monoxide detectors in every one of its 6,230 homes by 2010 as part of its major investment programme.
Nick Atkin, Chief Executive of Halton Housing Trust, said: “Lynn tirelessly campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and we are pleased to host a launch event in her home town so that she can bring her message to a local audience.
“We also want to remind our customers of the importance of complying with the Trust’s annual gas safety check. A free 45 minute gas safety check by a Trust CORGI registered gas engineer once a year is all it takes to save lives from carbon monoxide, the silent killer.”