‘Those struggling with poverty aren’t lazy layabouts’- Professor Green

Professor Green, real name Stephen Manderson, 38, is best known as a rapper and multi-award-winning songwriter. In recent years he has poured his energy into helping people in need through his charity work and activism. Now, Stephen is working to help those struggling with the cost of living crisis.As energy bills rise dramatically, British Gas and the Post Office are launching around 100 community pop-ups offering free, confidential energy advice in the areas of greatest need.  Having lived through energy debt himself and spoken to some of the people in need, Stephen told Express.co.uk about some of the heartbreaking messages he has received from worried members of the public.They include questions like: ‘What will happen if we physically can’t pay the bills?”What about the families that are just over the threshold for any help? It’s so scary it keeps me awake.’READ MORE:James Jordan admits ‘everyone thinks I’m mad’ after homeless struggle Professor Green opened up about how he is helping people through the cost of living crisis. (Image: TalkTV/Instagram Professor Green) Professor Green opened up about his owns experiences with energy debt and tough childhood. (Image: Getty) Professor Green is raising awareness of British Gas and the Post Office’s energy advice pop-ups. (Image: Instagram Professor Green)’These aren’t people who are lazy layabouts who don’t want to be able to go out and just buy their food.  ‘They are people who are in a really desperate situation and simply can’t afford to cover everything.’Having to struggle is something that Stephen knows all too well after growing up with his grandmother on a housing estate in Hackney.He told me: ‘Growing up how I did, I saw a lot of stress around money, a lot. My nan worked three jobs a day, she was bringing up her grandson, she had already brought up three children single-handedly. She struggled.DON’T MISSMichael Douglas is unrecognisable as he unveils new long, dyed hair[PICTURES]US star talks ‘working’ with Meghan after ‘overplaying her hand’ claim[INSIGHT]Victoria Beckham breaks silence on catwalk sobs amid Nicola row claim[LATEST]On why he is helping to raise awareness about the pop-ups, Stephen continued: ‘With debt comes shame, with shame comes feelings of worthlessness and isolation, you tend to shut yourself off from everyone, you don’t want to talk about things.  ‘But these pop-ups give people a place to go and talk to a human – not a machine on a phone or a form on the internet – to talk to someone face-to-face and quite often it will be someone that they may already know in charities that already exist in the community.  ‘People find it quite hard to trust people when there is help potentially at hand and I hope that this can hopefully do quite a lot to encourage people to access the help that is out there which is really, really important during these times.’You can find out more about the pop-ups here.