As gas prices continue to soar, sparking further strain for families struggling with the cost of living, one church in York is taking action.
Rev Matt Woodcock, of St Barnabas Church, is creating a ‘fuel bank’ by collecting firewood to help people hear their homes.
Members of the church have been finding woods in the nearby green areas, and have approached building sites in a bid to make use of their offcuts.
The church sits inside the constituency of Christian Labour MP Rachael Maskell, who has been widely critical of the government's response to the cost of living crisis.
Following the announcement of the mini-budget, drawn up by Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng, she tweeted: “This Government's #BankersBudget has sent the cost of borrowing sky-high.
"It is economic incompetence, leaving us all to pay for generations to come.
“What price must we all pay so the Chancellor can give a payout to the wealthy few.”
The York MP has described people chopping down trees in their garden after coming off the gas network amid fears they won’t be able to pay their bills.
Rev Woodcock told the BBC: "It's appalling that in this day and age I am having meetings about wood foraging."
Instead of chopping down perfectly healthy trees, groups of volunteers will be taking part in organised walks to forage for kindling on the ground.