Hugh Grant and wife Anna Eberstein donate £10,000 to support vulnerable people

Hugh Grant, 62, and his wife Anna Eberstein, 41, have donated £10,000 to an organisation that supports elderly, vulnerable and disabled people.

The couple made the donation to Depher - Disability and Elderly Plumbing and Heating Emergency Repair, based in Burnley.

The organisation set up by James Anderson in 2017 recently started a GoFundMe appeal to help people amid the rising energy crisis in the UK.

James Anderson, the founder of Depher, told the PA news agency: “This has come when we need it the most. Many lives will be saved because of their generosity and support.

“This donation will put food on tables and warmth in the hearts of hundreds and thousands who are dealing with the cost-of-living crisis and poverty.”

The 54-year-old plumber, from Liverpool, thanked Hollywood actor Hugh and his wife for the donation and revealed the couple has donated £55,000 since October 2021.

It comes at a time when millions of people across the UK will be struggling to make ends meet due to rising costs.

James Anderson told BBC Breakfast earlier this week: "All the time, people are coming for food, gas, electric - the plumbing and heating obviously, because now it’s getting colder.

"And we’re getting a lot of people asking for other help - with building issues, debts, loan sharks."

Last week, Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng unveiled a mini-budget which outlines the Government’s plans to help families and businesses with skyrocketing energy bills.

The measures have been criticised for benefiting the super-wealthy instead of supporting the country’s most deprived families.

Hugh Grant is one of the highest-grossing British actors and has an estimated net worth of around $150million (£130million), although his starring films have generated over $3 billion (£2.6billion) in profits.

The star has been using his fame and wealth to support charitable causes for many years.

Following his mother’s death from Pancreatic cancer in 2001, Hugh launched a campaign to raise £200,000 for Marie Curie Nurses and has supported other cancer charities such as the Raisa Gorbachev Foundation, which is committed to fighting child cancer.

He is also said to have donated his tie worn in the film Love Actually to a charity auction to raise money for Save the Children’s ‘Ties for Tokyo’ initiative, which helped children in Japan following 2011’s devastating earthquake and tsunami.