News & Events

Vulnerable families in Tees Valley will now be able to enjoy the newly refurbished accommodation, thanks to staff from NEPO and business energy supplier EDF.

Parent and Child Together North East (PACTNE) provides accommodation at Eagle House offers physical and emotional wellbeing for families struggling with ongoing health challenges, homelessness, domestic violence and a variety of other reasons.

Located in a beautiful rural setting on the edge of Darlington, the three-acre site offers six log cabin homes for vulnerable families from across Tees Valley, Hartlepool, Darlington and North Yorkshire, as well as intensive support, relevant training and counselling.

Organised by NEPO’s sole energy supplier, a total of 11 volunteers from EDF and NEPO helped renovate the site with tree planting, path building, garden tidying and decorating.

James Lusby, service development manager at EDF, said: “We believe in generating good relationships with our customers, and part of that is giving back to the community through social value activities like we have carried out here at PACTNE.”

Social value is an important part of NEPO’s procurement process, ensuring suppliers offer additional value as part of their bids. This takes many different forms including offering training, apprenticeships, as well as community volunteering days.

Keith Lamb, social value and supplier coordinator at NEPO, said: “Social value is included in our procurement processes to ensure that public funding that is distributed through those contracts achieves improvements and benefits to the communities, individuals and environment of our region. It’s been fantastic to volunteer with PACTNE today, especially when you can see first hand the impact they are making on local families.”

Established in 2016, PACTNE is an innovative supporting housing charity that is committed to assisting vulnerable families to stay together and thrive.

Trevor Birtle, chair of trustees at PACTNE, said: “We house families who are vulnerable for lots of different reasons and need intensive support for a period of time. The results have been great, many families have gone back into the community feeling so much stronger after staying here. EDF and NEPO have helped make a big impact to improve our on-site facilities for the families who reside here, in a short space of time. It’s very much appreciated.”

Find out more about the work PACTNE does here.