London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 18, 2026

Cost of living: Man gives £10,000 to charity after seeing woman’s story on the BBC

Cost of living: Man gives £10,000 to charity after seeing woman’s story on the BBC

Anne Vivian-Smith used to be well and work full time. She and her partner were earning good money and able to afford their own home and car.

But several years ago, Anne started to get ill with a neurodegenerative autoimmune disorder. Within two years, she ended up in a wheelchair and her partner became her carer. They both lost their careers.

The couple went from earning £40,000 each a year to £20,000 and receiving disability benefits.

Two weeks ago, we told her story as part of our cost-of-living coverage. And now, one reader has donated £10,000 to an energy charity to help Anne and others struggling with bills. Here's their story.


Equipment, costs and obsessive worry


Anne uses ceiling-track hoists, a powered wheelchair and a motorised door. They all require charging and use up a lot of energy. So with energy prices rising, Anne's bills have gone from £84 a month to £259.

Her energy usage can never go down to the same level that a non-disabled person's can because her machines are vital. "I can't switch them off, not like other people," she said.

But cuts have to be made, so Anne and her partner are no longer able to put the heating on. "Every day I'm cold, every day I'm stuck in a damp house. Every day I worry about putting the kettle on," she said.

"Everything is so expensive. My smart meter is a blessing and curse because I become obsessed with it. Every time I turn the shower on it's £3.18."

John felt inspired when he saw Anne's story on the BBC


When John Pluck saw Anne sharing her story he felt compelled to help her.

"Anne's bravery to tell her story started all of this off. Her situation really opened my eyes, she said she had to decide whether she could use her wheelchair or eat.

"I haven't seen something that's moved me like that for years, so I contacted the BBC straight away. I wanted to look after her energy bills for the next year."


'I need money - but not as much as others'


However, when Anne was offered John's donation, she refused it. Anne explained to me that despite her situation, other people are in much worse positions.

"I've done some volunteer work at food banks and homeless projects. I've met people, where the most they've eaten in a fortnight is half a Danish and a cup of tea.

"It makes me look at my life. Despite it being difficult, I have a roof over my head and food in my fridge. I know very well how much pain other people are going through and so I wanted to help others."

Reflecting on Anne's viewpoint, John said: "I think it says everything about the person she is. She is in such a difficult spot but she's adamant that I look after other people. She puts other people first - it says what a selfless person she is."

Anne asked John to donate the money he wanted to give to her to National Energy Action, a fuel poverty charity, instead. It aims to eradicate fuel poverty and pushes for better investment in energy efficiency to help those who are poor or vulnerable.

John, who is a divisional director at an international insurance broker, donated £10,000 plus £2,500 in Gift Aid, and says he wants to donate at least £5,000 a year to the charity.

Adam Scorer, chief executive at the charity said: "We are hugely grateful to John for such a generous donation. The average annual energy bill has more than doubled in a year and 6.7 million people like Anne are in fuel poverty.

"With the support of people like John, people can keep their homes comfortably warm and safe."

Anne told me how pleased she was that telling her story had made an impact.

"Nobody can stop me grinning because it's amazing and I can't express my gratitude to John.

"It's awesome and hopefully it will go on to help people in very difficult positions."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
For 36 Years, He Scammed About 300 Luxury Hotels — Until He Was Caught
England's World Cup Exit Expected to Cost Hospitality and Retail £334 Million
Former ICC Prosecutor Aide Speaks Publicly About Allegations Against Karim Khan
Opposition Raises Questions Over June Heatwave Power Grid Pressures
Mastercard Explores Sale of Majority Stake in UK Payments Operator Vocalink
Boeing Forecasts Global Commercial Aircraft Fleet Will Double by 2045
London GP Surgeries Receive £18 Million to Expand Primary Care Capacity
Health Advisers Recommend Nationwide Meningitis B Vaccination for Teenagers
OECD Warns UK Economy Faces Slower Growth and Weak Productivity
Treasury Places Major Global Cloud Providers Under Direct Financial Oversight
Financial Markets Rally as Shabana Mahmood Emerges as Leading Treasury Candidate
Incoming Government Prepares Thames Water Nationalisation and New North Sea Drilling Approvals
UK Government Plans Deep Cuts to Bilateral Aid for African Nations
United States and Iran Exchange Direct Strikes for Seventh Consecutive Night
Incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham Confirmed as Labour Leader Ahead of Downing Street Handover
Britain Nationalises British Steel to Protect Scunthorpe Production and Strategic Supply
Andy Burnham Takes Labour Leadership and Prepares to Become Britain’s Seventh Prime Minister in a Decade
Tech Companies Want to Move Computing Off Your Screen and Onto Your Body
White House Teleprompter Operator Earned More Than $100,000 From Bets Linked to the President's Speeches
French Prime Minister Survives No-Confidence Vote After Controversial Budget Cuts
European Commission Opens Excessive Deficit Procedure Against France
French Senate Blocks Key Immigration Reform Measures
French Government Pushes EU Action Against Ultra-Fast Fashion Imports
French Parliament Debates Expanded Autonomy Powers for Corsica
France Reopens Autonomy Talks With New Caledonia After Months of Unrest
Bordeaux Wine Producers Seek Three Hundred Million Euro Aid Package After Export Collapse
French Farmers Block Spain Border Crossings Over Imported Food Competition
Cannes Film Festival Bans Fully Artificial Intelligence-Generated Films From Competition
TotalEnergies Shifts More Than Three Billion Euros of Green Investment From Europe to the United States
LVMH Chief Executive Bernard Arnault Presents Succession Plan for Luxury Empire
Kering Reports Fifteen Percent Revenue Drop as Chinese Luxury Demand Weakens
Sanofi Reports Positive Results From Messenger RNA Respiratory Vaccine Trials
France Places Energy Price Caps Under Review to Protect Households Through Winter
EDF Connects Two New Nuclear Reactors to France’s Electricity Grid
Mistral Secures European Commission Contract for Sovereign Artificial Intelligence Models
Renault Opens Next-Generation Electric Battery Plant in Northern France
Air France Signs Two Billion Euro Sustainable Aviation Fuel Deal to Cut Emissions
Marseille Launches Three Billion Euro Port Expansion to Strengthen Mediterranean Trade Role
French-Owned Ubisoft Announces Global Restructuring With Nearly One Thousand Job Cuts
National Railway Operator Suspends Artificial Intelligence Ticket Pricing System After Consumer Backlash
United Kingdom to Ban Sales of High-Caffeine Energy Drinks to Under-Sixteens
Home Office Designates Iranian and Russian Paramilitary Groups as National Security Threats
National Health Service Launches Housing Plan to Retain London Healthcare Workers
British Heatwave Fuels Wildfires and Emergency Evacuations in Scotland
United Kingdom and Estonia Sign Defence Agreement to Strengthen NATO’s Eastern Flank
United Kingdom Cuts Bilateral Aid to African Nations by More Than Eighty Percent
Bank of England Overhauls Banking Rules to Encourage More Lending to Businesses
United Kingdom and India Free Trade Agreement Enters Into Force, Reshaping Bilateral Economic Ties
Andy Burnham Confirmed as New Labour Leader and Prime Minister-Designate
UK Government Faces Pressure Over Extreme Heat Workplace Rules
×