A charity has received nearly £10,000 to help it launch financial support services for the people of the borough.

Bonny Downs Community Association received a donation of £9,984 from the Santander Foundation which offers grants to UK registered charities for projects that help disadvantaged people in local communities.

Peter Laing, Director at Bonny Downs Community Association said: “We are delighted that the Santander Foundation has provided us with this much-needed funding. Our team regularly meet people who genuinely cannot afford to feed their families or cannot sleep because they are so stressed and worried about making ends meet. Thanks to this grant, we can now offer practical advice and support to help vulnerable people work their way out of crippling debt.”

Kumar Ganesh, Branch Manager at Santander’s East Ham branch said: “The Santander Foundation makes hundreds of donations every year to good causes throughout the UK. Our branch is committed to playing a key part in our community and we are delighted to be supporting Bonny Downs Community Association, and hope the donation makes a real difference to local people.”

The grant will allow the charity, which is based in Vicarage Lane, East Ham to deliver three new financial support programmes consisting of weekly debt advice surgeries, benefit entitlement advice sessions, and ‘CAP Money’ household budgeting courses - devised by the debt counselling charity Christians Against Poverty.

All three sessions, available to local residents struggling with debt or financial issues, aim to teach practical budgeting skills, encourage healthier spending habits and help people get themselves out of debt.