Charlie’s career switch makes a difference

A South West charity worker who used to support high net worth individuals says his career switch to being a debt and energy advisor is about making a real difference to communities.

Charlie Knight works as a British Gas Energy Trust Debt and Energy Advisor for Navigate, a charity that works across Devon and Somerset providing one-to-one support for people experiencing social isolation and financial hardship.

Despite a significant salary reduction, Charlie has now found a job he loves, making a difference to the lives of people across the region every day.

He said: “A couple of years ago, I realised that I was miserable. I had been working long hours, with lots of stress and I often came home at night and think ‘What did I do today?’

“I might have been supporting people with a seven or eight-figure asset list file their tax return or help someone plan an investment. These people needed my help, and I provided it, but they weren’t in need.

“There’s a satisfaction that comes from really making a difference. If you help someone so they don’t have to worry or save them £50 on their energy bill each month, it can make a huge difference to them and their lives.”

Three months into his new job, Charlie has been surprised by some of the similarities of the client bases of his previous and new job.

“It’s going really well. I recently revisited a lady I saw in my second week at Navigate and the difference I could see in her outlook was massive. Her outlook had changed, she was more positive. I think because someone had listened to her and taken her seriously, it had eased a lot of her worries and she was more relaxed about things.

“But I was surprised by the similarities – it’s still all about trust.

“Money is often a horrible thing to talk about, so whether you’re talking about your wealth or opening up about having no money, it’s still hard to do.”

Charlie is already witnessing, first-hand, the impact charities can have on the frontline and in communities, adding: “It’s tough at the moment. People are struggling. Generally, people aren’t aware of the support that’s available to them. It’s often a natural instinct to bury your head in the sand when things aren’t going well.”

One client he has supported was Shelley*, a terminally ill woman who was bed-bound with very limited hearing and vision. After being told about a two-day window to migrate her benefits over to Universal Credit, she was ‘petrified’ of not being able to do so, and subsequently losing her home, power and access to vital funds.

Charlie stepped in, drove two hours from his usual location to spend four hours supporting her with the migration, acting on her behalf with the benefits team over the phone.

Charlie added: “She had been very stressed about the situation for weeks as she was entirely reliant on her benefits. We were able to sort everything that day. It’s really good to say that I was able to sort it but it was very emotional and moving. It shouldn’t have needed us, as a charity, to step in – it should have been much better coordinated.”

*named changed to protect identity

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