Hollywood actor Hugh Grant makes £20,000 donation to Burnley's James Anderson of Depher

The donation made by the star, and his wife Anna Grant, brings the total he has given to the Burnley based organisation, that provides free food for those in need as well as plumbing and heating services to the elderly and vulnerable, to around £75,000. James said: “It’s just awesome and will once again support the elderly and disabled with boiler and plumbing repairs and also provide Christmas support for hundreds of families and food, gas and electricity for those in real need.

"We also have three elderly people struggling at the moment and an elderly gentleman with terminal cancer who needs a new boiler and this money will make that happen as he can’t get any support. We will make him comfortable for as long as we can. Hugh and Anna have done something that means a lot to so many people.”

The star of smash hit films ‘Bridget Jones Diary’ ‘Notting Hill’ and ‘Four Weddings And A Funeral’ was among a raft of celebrities attending the huge Chanel annual Métiers d’Art fashion show in Manchester’s Northern Quarter last night.

James said: “This is a million miles away from many families in places like Burnley. There are different parts of the world that are untouchable to low income families so to get someone on the other side of the line who steps up to help is very humbling. To know that they care and have humanity in them, regardless of what they have, is very humbling.”

One of the first things James did when the donation came through was to buy clothing for a vulnerable family who could not even afford to buy socks. He also bought £2,000 worth of toys for the Depher Christmas Present project when he will become a real life Santa when he hosts a two day Christmas present giving session for the town’s children to ease the burden on parents who may be struggling this year.

He will open the doors of the Depher shop in Keirby Walk on Friday and Saturday, December 22nd and 23rd, between 10am and 4pm and every child who visits with their parents will be invited to choose two presents each for free. Depher’s storeroom is bursting at the seams with donations of toys and gifts for the project and a top British actress has also donated an amazing £2,500 towards the project.