Kate Winslet donates £17,000 to help family struggling with rising energy costs

Kate Winslet helped change the life of one family recently, when she donated £17,000 to a mother heavily impacted by the spike in energy costs. 

A British woman named Carolynne Hunter launched a GoFundMe earlier this year to help her pay her energy bills, which are higher than the standard, due to the fact that her daughter lives with severe cerebral palsy and requires specialised medical equipment.

In her GoFundMe, the mother of four said the surge in energy costs were “detrimental” to the health of her 12 year old daughter Freya and that she had received no governmental support. She added, “I have no way of reducing the usage of energy in our home. My older daughter and I have historically lived in fuel poverty to keep Freya safe and comfortable making sure all her medical needs are being met whilst allowing me to keep my bills as low as possible.”

“We dread every winter in our cold home,” she continued, adding the money raised from the GoFundMe would additionally go towards a generator to ensure Freya’s needs would be met in case of any power outages.

Hunter’s GoFundMe had a goal of £20,000 and donation confirmed to be from Winslet helped her reach the milestone. The Titanic actor’s donation was listed as being from “Kate Winslet and Family.”

Hunter told the BBC, “When I heard about the money I just burst into tears - I thought it wasn't even real. I'm still thinking is this real?"

Winslet has not publicly addressed the situation, but Hunter added the star had reached out to her privately. In a recent update on her GoFundMe - which has since raised £27,000 - Hunter thanked everybody for their “generosity with beautiful heartwarming messages.”

She wrote, “Freya has been sleeping since last night so hoping she will wake soon so that I can let her know how kind you all are. I will read her all of the messages you have sent us. I know she will smile.”

She continued, “We are so grateful to you all.”