On the road with YES: Delivering energy advice out in the community Oct 16, 2025

Meet Katie: Advice stakeholder coordinator

Hi! I’m Katie, and my role here at YES is Advice Stakeholder Coordinator. I work on the Advice team, and I help look after our special Mobile Advice Centre (MAC) that is funded by one of our clients, Cadent Gas Network. I’ve worked at YES for five and a half years now and have had a couple of different roles within the business.

Planning the MAC journey

My job now is to plan the schedule of where the MAC visits so our fabulous Field based coordinators can provide energy efficiency advice, support and a friendly face to the community. I also get to go out in the van too to help serve the community. The 3.5 tonne MAC van is definitely the biggest vehicle I’ve ever driven. It’s a challenge, but it’s fun!

Building community connections

In the last six months of working with the MAC van we’ve continued to build on the good relationships we have with foodbanks across Manchester, as well as create new ones with new venues across the North West. From libraries and community centres, to attending a mix of different one-off events.

MAC at the Darley Park Weekender

We’ve been to events run by different Councils, social housing providers, localised anti-poverty groups and youth zones. We even pushed the boat out and booked the MAC van into a three-day music festival in Derby, the Darley Park Weekender, which was our best event by far! We spoke to the festival goers about energy efficiency and were handing out freebies such as electric gilets, hot water bottles and power banks. It was a really good weekend for MAC and has kicked us off looking at the music festival scene for next year to see what else we can book on to.

Supporting people at foodbanks

We generally take the MAC to a lot of foodbanks so that we can support people going through the hardest of times. We see a wide variety of people all going through different circumstances which has resulted in them needing to use the foodbanks. Whilst they’re waiting for their food parcels to be made up, it’s a perfect time for us to have a chat with them to see what support we can offer. Whether it’s just a few tips of things they can do or change around the home to make it more energy efficient, to adding them to the Priority Services Register, to checking if they qualify for Government funding for insulation and renewable technologies, to referring them to our partners for additional support – we have something that can help everyone.

Tailored advice and trust

We find it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ thing and are able to tailor the advice to the individual. This means we can really bond with the people we see. Sometimes just providing a friendly ear for people to explain their situation and worries to will do more for a person’s mental health than the physical advice we have given. It’s amazing how much someone will open up to a random person on a random van, all because they trust us.

Meet the MAC team

This is all down to the amazing bond that our two Field based coordinators, David and Hollie, have with each other. They both come from a background in the caring sector and have masses of empathy, friendly natures and are down to earth. They both know how to relate to the public we see, whilst still being professional. It’s a pleasure to watch them both interact with members of the public. Going out in the van with each of them is fun and easy as they’ve both welcomed me to the team with smiling faces and it’s even better when we get to go out together. All three of us work under Matt, who manages the MAC team. He’s the numbers guy who pushes us to do the best we can, whilst having a fair and relaxed approach to the challenges and suggestions we throw his way. The four of us get along and it’s a joy to be part of this small but important team.

David’s perspective

David describes his time on the MAC team as being a rollercoaster of learning, growth and deeply meaningful moments. Meeting people from all walks of life, sharing a quiet tear with one person, to having a genuine belly laugh with the next, no two interactions are the same. He was first interested in the role as it would allow him to reconnect with his core values of caring for people, after a few years working away from the caring sector, he was keen to find a new job which would bring him back to being able to assist people. He states it’s a privilege to be able to give back to the community and support people who truly need it. I can guarantee that this is definitely something David is doing!

Hollie’s favourite venue

Hollie says she loves the job as she gets to see first hand the difference it makes to people’s lives and how they benefit from the advice she gives. They’ve had several people return to the MAC van to thank them for their advice and support, and she finds it rewarding knowing that their lives have improved because of the existence of the MAC. Hollie’s favourite venue is the foodbank at Harpurhey in Manchester. This is one of the first foodbanks the MAC visited, and she loves the sense of community at this venue and is proud of the volume of people they’ve helped here. It shows how effective the MAC is, whilst also highlighting how many people need its services.

Every venue matters

All the events and venues we visit in MAC are unique and special in their own way. From foodbanks giving away food parcels, to youth centres sharing a safe space for disadvantaged children and young adults to learn and grow, to community events aimed at bringing a bit of fun and education to the public, to music festivals bringing together people from all areas and walks of life.

Big dreams for MAC’s future

MAC can only get bigger and better and reach out to more venues and events. We have big dreams of music festivals, garden centres, local fairs, universities, local doctors’ surgeries, outdoor markets, agricultural shows. Any place where there are people and a safe space to park, we aim to be there! No two weeks will be the same with the variety of venues we aim to get. We are working hard to support communities and make a difference in people’s lives. Our little team has big dreams, and we aim to fulfil them! So, watch this space!

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