This winter, many in our local community have been hit hard by the increase in energy costs. At St John's Soup Kitchen and Food Bank we've seen a marked rise the number of people seeking help with their fuel bills. Many of these people are on prepayment meters, meaning if they don't have credit on their account, they simply don't have heat or power. Some go days without it, others weeks or even months. We've been able to use a fund we have to offer top ups, but his fund has now depleted. At the same time, we've had others in our community asking us if they're able to donate some (or all!) of their government energy rebate to allow us to provide energy to those who need it more.

The Brownswood Fuel Exchange has all come together after a new partnership with Payzone giving the Soup Kitchen its very own top-up machine, and a bringing together of St John's and Hackney Showroom to work together on this new fund.

St John's will hold this money in a restricted fund, so if you feel able to donate, even if it's only a few pounds, the money will go directly to local residents to support them to meet the cost of their energy. Thank you very much!