Cost of living: Buckinghamshire Council asks 'affluent' residents to help others

Buckinghamshire Council has set up a Helping Hands appeal to aid others

An appeal fund has been started by a council asking its "affluent" residents to help others facing the cost of living crisis.

Buckinghamshire Council said it was working with the charity Heart of Bucks and about £17,000 had been raised.

Martin Tett, its Conservative leader, said the county had some "relatively affluent" people.

He asked for those who could to make a donation to help those struggling get "through the winter".

Martin Tett, the Conservative leader of Buckinghamshire Council, said rising bills meant everyone was facing pressure on their household budgets

Through the council's Helping Hand programme, advice, financial help and information was being offered to people "to cover the food and energy costs to households in crisis", the council said.

"In the council area there are some people who are relatively affluent, " said Mr Tett.

"Not everyone is literally down to their last farthing.

"If you can afford it, if you can help other people, to help them get through the winter, particularly like struggling pensioners, people on very low incomes, we'd like you to consider making a donation towards our crisis fund."

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Places like Aylesbury library are being opened up as part of the Welcoming Spaces programme, where people can stay to keep warm, the council said

The council had started its Welcoming Spaces programme to open up its libraries as places where people can "spend the day somewhere warm and lit", he added.

It was also working to reduce its costs, meaning some floors in council buildings might be closed to save on heating and lighting.