Surviving Winter Appeal – people in Cornwall need your help
We are appealing for donations to our Surviving Winter Campaign. The Campaign raises funds from generous individual donors to help elderly and vulnerable residents across Cornwall who are suffering throughout the winter due to high energy prices, lack of access to hot food, clothing and energy efficiency issues.
Some donors to this Fund donate the Winter Fuel Payments they do not need themselves. Others, who do not qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment, choose to donate nonetheless because they recognise there is an urgent need to help people who struggle in winter.
CCF Development Director, Jeremy Ward, says, “Last winter generous donations from our Friends and supporters enabled us to award essential small grants amounting to £17,500 to people suffering fuel poverty or severe hardship associated with their living conditions. We are so grateful for the donations already received that amount to more than £14,000. Quite simply the more money we raise, the more people we can help.”
Winter is a very challenging time for many people. More than 1 in 7 households (33,000 homes) in Cornwall live in fuel poverty. Public Health England have highlighted how cold weather exacerbates health problems and 2019 figures estimated there were 720 excess winter deaths in Cornwall alone due to cold weather.
The organisations who received funding to distribute grants to individuals included St Austell Community Kitchen, Wild Young Parents, EFGI Cornwall Aid Centre in Redruth, Cornwall Rural Community Charity, Livewell and Wadebridge Foodbank.
Wild Young Parents works with disadvantaged families to create a positive start to family life. Wild received funding last winter to support their clients with the greatest needs. Ellie Nicholas, Wild Young Parents’ Operations Manager, said, “Our families often live in poverty, we help them with food bank and foodshare items. I have known a young mum go through the winter with summer canvas shoes, this fund enabled us to go out and buy her some strong winter boots to protect her feet in the rain. She was very emotional when we gave them to her.”
Housing association Livewest identified elderly people living with a disability or health conditions who were struggling to keep warm. An elderly lady in Penzance received a small grant to help pay towards the cost of coal. Lisa Baxter of Livewest commented, “The lady is on medication for health conditions so really feels the cold. The grant proved a huge help during the colder months.”
Tamas Haydu, our CEO, said: “Surviving Winter is a really effective way to support people in Cornwall struggling to cope due to winter conditions. The money raised from the Appeal will be awarded to carefully-assessed, grassroots Cornish organisations who help individuals struggling in their communities.”
To help us help more people this winter, please:
CLICK HERE to donate online or,
send a cheque, payable to The Cornwall Community Foundation, in an envelope addressed: Freepost CORNWALL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. (No stamp or postcode needed)