A new initiative aims to help rural communities reduce energy costs and tackle climate change.

The Climate Action in Rural North East (CAIRN) project launched this month, offering tailored support to help small communities take control of their energy usage.

The project is a collaboration between Community Action Northumberland (CAN) and partners.

Andy Dean from CAN said: "Many homes rely on costly heating oil, public transport options are limited, and infrastructure can be outdated.

"These factors often leave rural households grappling with higher energy costs and fewer support options than their urban counterparts.

"CAIRN is designed to address these issues by empowering communities to develop practical, long-term energy solutions."

The project will support community energy projects, conduct carbon assessments, provide free energy advice to 500 households, offer training and skills development, and engage young people.

Paul Cowie from the Rural Design Centre said: "Rural communities often lack the capacity to engage fully with the challenges around developing community energy initiatives.

"CAIRN is a great opportunity to build capacity within rural communities to ensure energy projects are designed and developed by and for rural communities."

The initiative is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.