Groundwork charity tackles damp and mouldy homes

Black mould in bathrooms (Credit: Groundwork Five Counties)

Regional charity Groundwork Five Counties is working with local authorities and social housing associations in the East Midlands to educate and support tenants to be safe from damp and mould. In 2025/26, the charity visited 427 households and found a total of 2,001 rooms that were not up to standard.

Groundwork Five Counties has recently published its annual report which highlights how damp and mould is a widespread problem in social housing. The organisation visits homes selected by their landlords to identify and tackle these major health hazards in a pro-active way.

In October 2025 Awaab’s Law took effect, requiring social housing landlords to action reported health hazards in 24 hours. The law is named after two-year old Awaab Ishak who tragically died in 2020 after prolonged black mould exposure in his home, which the family’s landlord was held responsible for.

Darryl Plummer, Programmes Director at Groundwork Five Counties, said “During our home visits we check every room for visible damp and mould, and we take wall meter readings to identify invisible hazards. Every instance of damp, mould, or disrepair is reported and passed to the landlord to be resolved rapidly.”

In the financial year of 2025/26, the charity’s Damp & Disrepair team found 2,001 rooms with visible damp, mould or disrepair in 427 homes, highlighting the prevalence of the issue. Many of these homes are occupied by people who are classed as vulnerable due to their age, existing health conditions or disabilities, and other vulnerable backgrounds.

Darryl said: “Damp and mould can happen through poor insulation, defective brickwork or guttering, plumbing leaks, or other problems with the property. When we identify these problems, we notify the landlord to ensure the issues get resolved at the root, so damp and mould don’t keep coming back.

“We also provide the residents with advice on how to prevent damp and mould by following guidance around adequate heating, ventilation, and moisture control. Helping people to understand how damp and mould is formed and what they can do to combat it, often makes all the difference.”

The charity also provides tenants with money and energy-efficiency advice, helping these 427 households save a combined total of £103,837 and 190,955 kilos of CO2, which is the equivalent of driving 565,514 miles.

To find out more about Groundwork Five Counties and its services, visit this link.