A campaign has been launched allowing Barking and Dagenham residents to donate their government energy rebate to those in need.
The Fuel Up initiative will see donations used to fund vouchers usable within the BD Collective’s Food Network, which supports 20 organisations that provide essential food and other necessities to vulnerable residents.
Those who can are invited to donate some or all of the £67 energy bill discounts they will receive monthly from the government this winter.
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“We had a family come to us the other day for a food parcel, they still can’t afford to heat their home,” Barking Salvation Army Major Stephen Westwood said.
"Families who were just about getting by before are really struggling.”
BD Collective, which calls itself "a network of networks coming together to make Barking and Dagenham a better place to live", is hoping to raise £5,000 with the scheme.
It said that every donation would “make a huge difference to many who are having to make difficult decisions between heating their homes, or putting food on the table”.
BD Collective has teamed up with BD Giving, Care City and East London Business Alliance to introduce the campaign.
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