Carbon monoxide (CO) awareness

We believe it’s important to educate young people on the dangers of CO and how to keep themselves and their families safe from harm, which is why we work with a number of partners to create fun, engaging and innovative ways to teach children about CO in a way that they will understand and share this knowledge.

Many homes across the UK do not have a working CO alarm. There is also an intrinsic link to fuel poverty and a greater risk of a CO leak and potential exposure. People who are struggling to pay their bills and feed their family are unlikely to have their appliances serviced regularly and are unlikely to be able to afford a CO alarm.

Students are classed as one of the hardest to reach groups. There are many potential causes of student disengagement, including a lack of interest in the material, lack of personal relevance and lack of motivation. Partnering with St John Ambulance means we can target this audience with tailored messaging.

Partnering with The Scouts we aim to reach and educate 430,000 young people through fun and engaging activities that raise awareness and understanding of CO poisoning, and how to reduce carbon monoxide harm. Recently we’ve introduced new activities aimed at increasing energy efficiency and fuel poverty awareness.