South Tyrone ‘needs help’

ALMOST half of all calls made for assistance to an emergency cost of living fund this week, were from the south Tyrone area it has emerged, as fuel costs continue to soar to staggering new record highs.

On Tuesday, the charity Kinship Care NI – which is run by Jacqueline Williamson (pictured) and supports children living with close family relatives like grandparents – released a £10,000 support pot targeted at working families who are now struggling to make ends meet.

Inside less than five hours, the charity had received 101 requests for help from across the North and 46 of those calls came from the south Tyrone areas of Dungannon, Coalisland, Moy and also Carrickmore.

Yesterday, one local heating oil supplier quoted an eye-watering £640 for 500 litres of oil – more than double the £309 quoted by another local supplier just over three weeks ago on February 14, while motorists were faced with diesel prices up to £1.85 per litre and petrol at £1.75.

Jacqueline Williamson who is the chief executive of Kinship Care NI – which raises funds and collects donations through it’s Kindness of Strangers store on Dungannon’s Irish Street – said they wanted to reach out to those working families, who she said may not be able to access other government support.

“Yes there certainly seems to be quite a bot of demand in the south Tyrone area and there’s a lot of working families who are getting it really tough at the moment,” she said.

The charity is also donating £5,000 to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal to support children who have been displaced and are in urgent need of help and support.

Jacqueline continued, “We are releasing £10,000 in support of local families who are struggling with the rising cost of electricity, oil, gas and food.

“We intend on using this money to support families with £40.00 top ups (electricity), £49 top ups (gas), 200 litres of oil (cost will vary) and £50 food shops (stipulation no alcohol or cigarettes).

“We are aware that the NI Executive are providing £200.00 to households on certain benefits so we would like to support households who are working and do not qualify for this payment.”

Jacquline said her charity was overwhelmed by the level of support which their charity shop has received since it opened in 2020.

“I have to say the Dungannon Kindness of Strangers store has been really well support since we opened it around 18 months ago.

“I want to say a massive thank-you to the people of Dungannon and the wider area, both ordinary people and local business who have been such a big support. It really is the kindness of these strangers that means we can help these families.”

On Wednesday, the Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey said the one-off £200 payment to help people struggling with rising energy costs will be delayed by a day, Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has said.

Sinn Féin have also called on the British government to delay their attempts to remove red diesel rebates.

Experts are warning that the fuel costs will rise further due to western plans to ban or curb Russian oil and gas imports.

The UK said on Tuesday it will phase out Russian fuel imports by the end of 2022.