SOUTH Belfast GAA club Bredagh GAC have partnered up with the Ormeau Road Traders' Association to launch a new initiative to help tackle fuel and energy poverty in the local community.

'The Ormeau Road Fuel Bank' will be donating to local charities, The Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul before being distributed to those in need.

Malcolm MacFarlane, chairman of Bredagh GAC, said: "The prices are rocketing so the need is going to be greater this year. 

"Both ourselves as a sports club and the traders' association, we all feed into the greater community and we have a responsibility to those in need in our locality," he said.

"We have established a link where you can make an online payment and we will hand that over to the Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul, as the two agencies which will know best where the true need is.

"We will be putting a rallying call out to the other sports clubs and businesses etc to do this in their locality".

Chris O'Reilly, Chairman of the Ormeau Business Association, said both Bredagh GAC and the association hoped to use social media and their presence in the community to "create a level of awareness" about the initiative so the funds could be given directly to those "who will experience fuel poverty this winter".

Local SDLP councillor Gary McKeown praised Bredagh GAC for the initiative.

"At a time when fuel costs are soaring and many people are facing the winter in cold and poverty, once again that fantastic Bredagh GAC have stepped up to the mark, working with local businesses to help improve people's lives."

You can donate to the 'The Ormeau Fuel Bank' campaign here.