STORY: Green Doctor on the Ground – Jack
Meet Jack, a Green Doctor from the West Midlands who uses his background in environmental sustainability to reduce fuel poverty – creating impact that is both kind to people and the planet.
Jack has worked on the Green Doctor programme for four years. Before this, he studied Physics at university, subsequently completing a Master’s Degree in Environmental Sustainability. He became employed by Groundwork West Midlands via the Kickstart programme where he delivered volunteer sessions at a local country park to benefit local biodiversity.
Serving his community and the task of supporting volunteers through his Kickstart position factored into Jack’s interest in the Green Doctor role. Jack wanted to continue people-focused impact in his career. Not only that, but he was immediately drawn to work that allowed him to utilise his academic knowledge to help people, in a way that aligned with positive environmental impact.
Jack said:
“The breadth and depth of fuel poverty, and the way it affects communities, is severe. People that we work with are often choosing to either heat their home or eat food. By being able to intervene and offer advice, we can make a real difference to people’s living condition. It can allow them to get back on their feet.
“Helping people and having a lasting impact on their lives is my favourite thing about being a Green Doctor. By being able to solve people’s issues with energy efficiency, or fuel debt or whatever it might be, and setting them back on the right path is extremely rewarding. Knowing that you have left them in a much better place, instilled confidence, and given them a more positive outlook on life is a very positive feeling.
“A client that I met at an event came up to our stall with a pack of letters from his energy company, showing a bill of approximately £2800 debt. He had no idea how this could happen and was distressed about the whole situation. When inspecting his meters during a home visit, it became clear that night meter readings were being used for day readings! After submitting accurate readings, I was able to contact the company to explain the issue. A few days later, the client called me to let me know that his bills had been adjusted and was instead credited with £800. He said a massive burden had been lifted.
“The most challenging aspect of helping others is when they are struggling to help themselves. Having to communicate with people to get them out of a depression or a downward spiral that they feel that they are in can be very challenging. By giving them space, having patience and simply being a presence in their lives that lets them know there is help for them, when they need it, you can start to help them mend.
“Being a Green Doctor, you can literally be saving people’s lives. As my colleague who recently retired said, ‘few jobs out there give you the type of satisfaction that this one can.’”