With rising energy prices and the impact of inflation on a wide range of everyday essentials for both residents and businesses the borough is facing an unprecedented situation with wide ranging impacts on residents.

It means the St Helens Together model, which was created in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, will once again become a priority to pull together the help available across the borough to help those in need.

The St Helens People’s Board meeting on Wednesday heard startling statistics linked to the cost-of-living situation including predictions that without intervention 59 per cent of homes in the north west would be in fuel poverty by January 2023 and that all but three wards of St Helens (Eccleston, Rainhill and Rainford) had above national average levels of fuel poverty dating back from 2018.

Councillor David Baines, Leader of St Helens Borough Council, said: “St Helens Together brought the best of our borough together through Covid-19 and we now face another unprecedented situation that will affect households, businesses and service providers. Therefore the Council is once again stepping up efforts with our partners to coordinate support for residents and our communities and help each other through the coming months.

“Through St Helens Together we will be bringing together the services, information and advice from partners across the borough and doing all we can to make it easier for residents and businesses to find out all they need to support them through the coming months.

“We already have lots of help and advice available online at www.sthelens.gov.uk/sthelenstogether and this will continue to be updated with further advice and help from partners in the weeks ahead.“