Established in 1983, the Wise Group of companies have insulated 120,000 houses (resulting in energy savings of $7,911,500 per annum), planted over one million trees, improved the physical environment around 3,000 houses and made 40,000 houses more secure. Originally established in Glasgow, similar companies have now been established in ten other British cities. Turnover is $22,943,350 per annum of which 20 per cent is earned income and the remainder is from a variety of government and EU sources. It employs 560 trainees and 230 permanent staff, and Wise Group trainees have been more than twice as successful at getting jobs as those on government training programmes.

Partnership

NGO, local government, national government, academic/research, local community