Staffordshire Community Foundation, The Dudson Centre, Hope Street, Hanley, Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, ST1 5DD
Registered Charity
No: 1091628 Registered Company No: 04220563
The Staffordshire Community Foundation is part of the Surviving Winter Appeal launched across the UK with the support of Saga to help thousands of vulnerable and older people affected by fuel poverty.
With rising fuel bills and the prospect of another cold winter, older and vulnerable people are at risk.
Nearly half a million households in Staffordshire, (just under a quarter), are living in fuel poverty. Almost half of those living in fuel poverty are aged over 60. Excess winter deaths, (those that are caused directly by cold, or where cold is a contributing factor), amounted to nearly 700 as an average of the last 3 years.*
Community Foundations all over the UK are co-ordinating the campaign. What they collect, thanks to the generosity of the British public, can then be directly targeted to help those locally who struggle to get through the winter.
The Surviving Winter Appeal run by Staffordshire Community Foundation will channel all the funds raised to provide support to older and vulnerable people who are suffering because of fuel poverty. The money will be directed to those most in need of help and make sure they can afford to stay warm, eat well and remain mobile, as well as help them in practical ways such as ensuring the can make doctor’s appointments, get to the shops and maintain an active social life.
Commenting on the challenge to the local community, Chair of Staffordshire Community Foundation, Jacqueline Farrell, said:
“Surviving Winter is a UK-wide co-ordinated campaign to encourage people to make donations to support those in need for whom the Winter Fuel Payment is not nearly enough. It is vitally important to provide a channel for those who want to help the most vulnerable members of our community to get through the winter with dignity. We hope others will see what is being done and also wish to lend their support.”
Many pledges have already been received before the campaign has been launched.
Nationally the scheme is backed by Sir Terry Wogan, Sir David Jason & Denise Robertson. It is also backed by AgeUK, SAGA and NEA.
All donations collected by the Staffordshire Community Foundation, including general donations to the scheme and unneeded winter fuel payments, will go back into Staffordshire's communities. They may be used to provide energy advice to vulnerable people, or to help provide insulation, or to pay for luncheon clubs to allow the vulnerable to get a hot meal, socialise and get free energy advice.
In today's society there really is no need for anyone to suffer unneccesarily due to cold weather or loneliness over the winter months, and ultimately this scheme is designed to ensure that that doesn't happen.
We want to keep Staffordshire's communties fit and well and ensure that no one is at a disadvantage over winter, but for it to be a success we need your help! Please consider donating your unneeded winter fuel payments, or donate whatever you can to help us to keep our vulnerable and older people well over winter.
"This is an excellent way for local people to help some of the most vulnerable older people in their area. I’ll certainly pass my payment on, and encourage everybody who can, to contribute towards it.”
Sir Terry Wogan
“Staying warm and healthy in our cold winters is something most of us take for granted. However, when the idea of those more fortunate “handing on” their winter fuel payments to local, vulnerable people was presented, I wanted to pledge my payment to the “Surviving Winter Appeal”. It would be great to think that all those people who are in a position to forego part or all of their own winter fuel payment could join this great scheme and spread a little warmth”.
Sir David Jason
“I am delighted to be supporting this brilliant initiative to help “recycle” winter fuel allowances from those who don’t need them, to help pensioners who do. We feel it is important, as part of a caring society, to enable people who want to help those who are at risk of fuel poverty to keep warm and well this winter.”
Ros Altmann, Director-General of SAGA
“NEA is delighted to be supporting the Surviving Winter Campaign. As the national fuel poverty charity, we are only too aware of the dangers of living in cold damp homes, and with winter approaching many people will be dreading the prospect of cold conditions and high energy bills. Through the campaign, we hope to raise awareness of the 6.6 million UK households that are currently estimated to be in fuel poverty, as well as work with individual community foundations to deliver effective, tailored solutions that will permanently remove people from fuel poverty”.
Peter Smith, External Affairs Manager, National Energy Action
Local Supporters Include;
Joan Walley,
MP for Stoke North
Aidan Burley,
MP for Cannock Chase
Christopher Pincher,
MP for Tamworth
Gavin Williamson,
MP for South Staffordshire
Jeremy Lefroy,
MP for Stafford
* Figures taken from the West Midlands Public Health Observatory, October 2011
