Dartmouth Community Chest and Food Bank has been awarded £5,500 to help residents out of fuel poverty this winter.

The fuel poverty grant has been given to the organisation by electricity operator Western Power Distribution from their national Community Matters fund. It’ll be used to deliver community events to provide advice and support for people struggling to pay their fuel bills.

Dawn Shepherd, Trustee at Dartmouth Community Chest and Food Bank, said: “As communities come to terms with the new normal, self-organising and working together is more important than ever. We have a strong, resilient community that never leaves anyone alone or without, as usual fundraising events are not available to us, this grant will be vital to continue to do this.”

The Community Matters Fund is an annual £1 million fund, which supports grassroots groups, charities, and councils. The fund distributes the money, which is provided entirely by the company’s shareholders, in a number of themed phases each year. Fuel poverty was the first theme this year.

Alison Sleightholm, Western Power Distribution’s Resources and External Affairs Director, said: “It’s great to see the first of our grants being distributed to organisations and charities in Devon which are offering direct help to the people who need it most this winter. Their work will make a vital difference, supporting our most vulnerable customers and making a positive impact in the communities we serve.

“At Western Power we take our responsibility to our customers and to the environment extremely seriously. We want to support more customers than ever to make energy savings, both to cut their bills and to secure a sustainable future for everyone.”

Western Power Distribution is the UK’s largest electricity distributor, responsible for delivering power to homes, businesses and vital services through its lines and cables in Wales.