Ashfield MP Lee Anderson has given £1,000 to a community food bank that has launched a new project to help people struggling with energy bills.

Let’s All Eat, a community interest company in Sutton that has been tackling local food poverty since the pandemic hit, is now advising people how they might save on those charges.

Two fuel support drop-in sessions were held at Sutton Community Academy at the end of January.

The principal of the academy, Liz Barrett, who helps to run Let’s Eat, met with Lee and an energy expert to discuss the new service.

It will be provided by the food bank through education, fact sheets, drop-in sessions and early intervention support.

Lee said the money was a fee he was paid for writing an article for the Daily Mail. He has previously worked with Let’s All Eat and said: “If I ever get extra pay then I will always give it to my local community.

“I am pleased that this money will go towards helping my constituents with their energy bills as I understand the struggles that people face with rising costs.

“Whilst this project gets under way, I will continue to push Government to cut VAT and green subsidies on energy bills so that the poorest in our community can make a real saving.”

Let’s All Eat works with Ashfield District Council and GPs, as well as providing food parcels to families in need. It also offers learning opportunities, such as cookery classes or budgeting education.

There is also a telephone emergency line for agencies to ring for immediate food supplies.

Let’s All Eat is putting on two fuel support drop-in sessions in the ATTIC cafe at Sutton Community Academy on Friday, 28th January, and Saturday, 29th January, from 10am-noon. They are open to anyone in the Ashfield area.

Members of staff will be present to help discuss current fuel issues from bills that cannot be paid or concerns about the anticipated increase in fuel costs becoming too high.

People should take their fuel supplier details, including account number. Support may be able to be given in phoning fuel providers and negotiating better deals moving forward.