A helping hand will soon help Lanarkshire locals struggling with the continuing rise of energy prices.
Emergency fuel vouchers to top up residents' electricity meters will be given to those left in the dark and the cold through a 'fuel bank' which will be based in Bellshill from next month.
In the same way that foodbanks provide emergency food supplies, the fuel bank will accept referrals and aim to provide same-day help.
It comes as MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill organised for national charity the Fuel Bank Foundation to meet with local organisations for an onboarding session to bring the lifeline service to town.
The groups have now come together to be able to deliver fuel vouchers from October.
Fuel Bank launched in 2015 to provide emergency fuel for families. The charity links into existing local organisations that already work with people who are struggling, accepting referrals to provide quick help, in the form of vouchers for top up meters.
More than 650,000 people up and down the country have already benefitted from Fuel Bank, and Ms Callaghan is determined to see local people benefit too.
Customers on prepayment meters are Fuel Bank’s main focus. But customers with oil tanks and coal bunkers are also at higher risk due to the hefty one-off payments that are difficult to budget for.
Ms Callaghan reached out to Matthew Cole, head of the Fuel Bank Foundation, earlier this year, and has been working hard over the summer to identify and bring together community partners to deliver the initiative.
She hopes this first onboarding session will mean partners can start making referrals in just a few weeks' time, and updates will be posted on social media as they happen.
The MSP told Lanarkshire Live : “Too many people are in crisis and feeling hopeless, and they need and deserve our help. Fuel Bank is about more than energy – keeping the lights on and heating homes brings people hope.
"Eating hot food, showering and resting all improve our physical and mental wellbeing, and these crisis vouchers have a multiplier effect, giving people the vital breathing space to get on their feet. The Fuel Bank model is designed to help people recover and become independent.
“I was delighted to welcome Matt to the Uddingston and Bellshill constituency alongside so many community champions working tirelessly to help those hit hardest by the current cost of living crisis.
“Matt led an inspiring discussion that gave all those in attendance a sense of hope as we approach this tremendously difficult period of the year, where so many households will be forced to make the unacceptable choice to turn their energy off without the means to top up.”
“So many new people are being pushed into fuel poverty by the current crisis, and they’re struggling to navigate a system they are entirely unfamiliar with", Ms Callaghan added.
"People are lost, and they need the help of local communities to get back on their feet.
“Nobody should be going without electricity and gas. Nobody should be forced to take doorstep loans or sell their bodies to turn the heating on. But that is the reality we are living in, and we need to campaign harder than ever before to get people out of this crisis.
“I am extremely proud to be launching this first of its kind lifeline service in North Lanarkshire and will be keeping in close contact with all local organisations as they partner up with Fuel Bank over the coming weeks and months.”
Following the session in Bellshill, Matthew added: “We are grateful for the opportunity of bringing Fuel Bank Foundation to North Lanarkshire to provide crisis fuel support to those who need it most.
“Despite the support from the UK government to take some of the financial burden off households struggling with their energy bills, millions of people are still going to find it extremely difficult this winter as the cost of living continues to bite."
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