surviving winter appeal
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Surviving Winter Appeal NewsletterTRANSCRIPT
Please return this form with your donation to Laura Hewitt, Surviving Winter Appeal, Devon Community Foundation The Factory, Leat Street, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 5LL
Or visit www.justgiving.com/Surviving-Winter to donate online
*This information is for Devon Community Foundation’s records and in order to
claim gift aid and will not be shared with any other organisations.
We expect the cost to be covered from the total Gift Aid claimed and for the full value of donors’ gifts to be spent directly on grant-making.
outpatients and 18,000 social
service calls in Devon each year
placing a huge strain on our
already burdened hospitals and
medical centres.
With government cuts to the fuel
allowance these figures may well
increase. The Winter Fuel
Payment has been cut from £250
to £200 for households with at
least one person over 60 and
from £400 to £300 for those with
a person over 80. These
represent substantial cuts to our
communities eldest and most
vulnerable residents and would
be easier to digest if fuel prices
were decreasing.
But as we are all aware fuel prices
haven’t decreased: they have
soared. This year the average
dual fuel energy bill will top
£1,300, according to last month’s
Ofgem report. For a pensioner,
receiving the basic state pension
of £102.15 per week (£5,211.80
annually) being able to afford to
heat your home adequately is a
difficult proposition with or
without the Winter Fuel Payment.
Devon Community Foundation, The Factory, Leat Street, Tiverton EX16 5LL
Call: 01884 235887 Visit: www.devoncf.comA company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, Company No: 3236918
Charity no: 1057923
600 older people in Devon are at risk of dying as a result of fuel poverty this winter.And that is not all, for every
additional winter death, there are
an estimated eight admissions to
hospital, 32 attendances at
outpatient care and 30 social
service calls. That’s 4,800
hospital admissions, 19,200
donate nowVisit www.justgiving.com/Surviving-Winter or send a cheque to the address shown below, but don’t forget to use this GiftAid form to make the most of your donation.
We need your donation NOW to make sure that hundreds of vulnerable people make it through the winter.
GiftAid FormI would like to donate to Devon Community Foundation’s Surviving Winter
Appeal and enclose a cheque made payable to Devon Community Foundation.
By Gift aiding your donation you will add 25% to the value of your donation.
I will gift aid my donation to the Surviving Winter Appeal
To qualify for gift aid what you pay in income tax or capital gains tax during the
year must be at least equal to the amount we claim.
To claim it we need your details below*:
Name:
Address:
Postcode:
Email:
Phone:
“I fully support the “Surviving Winter
Appeal” to assist the elderly and the
vulnerable to keep warm and healthy
during our cold winters. If you are in a
position to do so please help by donating
all or part of your winter fuel payment to
this very worthwhile cause”.
Sir Michael Parkinson
“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
“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
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The effect of increasing fuel prices is
that now one in every five households
in the South West are fuel poor. (That
means that they have to spend more
than 10% of their total household
income on fuel.) The number of
homes described as living in fuel
poverty has rocketed in the last few
years. It is estimated that there are
over 84,000 households in fuel
poverty in Devon. The choice facing
many of these people each day is
stark: heat their homes or eat.
More must be done to support
those in need due to fuel poverty;
beyond the hospital admissions and
social service visits it is known that
relieving cold and debt (for example,
from energy bills) could reduce
depression by half and visits to
general practitioners by a quarter.
Last winter, many people suffering
fuel poverty remained confined to
one room in an attempt to keep
themselves warm. Retired widower
David said, “If it gets far too cold, I
go to bed. Last winter I spent more
time in bed than I did downstairs.”
Community Foundations across the
country are co-ordinating Surviving
Winter: an appeal devised to tackle
some of these issues. The
Community Foundation’s network of
relationships with charity and
community leaders across the
county is well placed to identify
winter need and to target the money
raised with speed and efficiency.
Launched on 10th November, in
the Houses of Commons, the
appeal already has many
supporters, who have pledged to
Surviving Winter
pass on their own Winter Fuel
Payments to support those in need.
Of course, you don’t have to be in
receipt of a Winter Fuel Payment in
order to donate to the appeal: we
are asking all those who can afford
it to help in some way.
What is particularly great about
this appeal is that all funds raised
are distributed locally. So if you
live in Devon, and donate through
Devon Community Foundation,
your money will help another
Devon resident.
Appeal supporter and Devon
resident Ann Widdecombe was
the first to donate her Winter Fuel
Payment to the Surviving Winter
Appeal. Ann’s support is
gratefully received: her contribution
will help local people in real need,
but we need more of you to follow
in her footsteps and support the
appeal to ensure that we do our
utmost to protect the older
and vulnerable people in our
communities this winter.
For many households the Winter
Fuel Payment is a welcome boost
to household income, but we
know in many cases it simply is
not enough on its own. With a
national target of £1 million across
the UK, funds raised will make
sure older people can afford to
stay warm, eat well and remain
mobile, as well as help them in
practical ways such as ensuring
they can make doctor’s
appointments, get to the shops,
and maintain an active social life.
Community Foundations are
channelling the funds raised
through local organisations,
who will identify people who
need extra support this winter.
We will also be supporting
groups providing an essential
lifeline to older or vulnerable
people in our communities.
“I will be the first to
donate my Winter
Fuel Payment to the
Surviving Winter
Appeal. This small
gesture is such an
easy and obvious
way to support local
people in real need
and I hope others will
follow suit.” Ann Widdecombe
“Your donations will make all the
difference to thousands of vulnerable
and elderly people in Devon. I do
hope that you will join me to
support the Surviving Winter Appeal
this year.” Jonathan Dimbleby
So if you’re asking yourself what
can I do this Christmas to help
people in real need, and you don’t
need your Winter Fuel Payment or
can help in any other way, then
look no further and donate now to
Devon Community Foundation’s
Surviving Winter Appeal. It’s easy,
obvious and effective so let’s help
build a better future together.
“I fully sympathize with anyone
suffering from the cold. The Surviving
Winter appeal is a great opportunity to help
alleviate hardship during the winter.”
Ranulph Fiennes
In a recent home visit to a Devon
couple, Sarah Ready, an advisor
with Torbay Citizen’s Advice
Bureau, interviewed a retired
engineering industry worker and
his wife, a former school
teacher. She found that the
couple is under severe financial
strain resulting in fuel poverty.
Sarah said, “The flat was very cold
because this couple, both in their
late 70’s, are not putting the
heating on. They are relying on
large levels of clothing to keep
warm and existing health problems,
such as arthritis, are being
exacerbated by the cold.”
Sarah went on to say, “It wasn’t
only fuel that was putting a strain
on their budget. Although they
had always been a very frugal
couple, who had always previously
made ends meet, they were now
£3,000 in debt. The debt had
arisen in fuel, water and food bills
despite the limited heating they
allowed themselves and the steps
they had taken to reduce spending
on food items, for example by
purchasing almost out of date
foods and dented tins.”
Money donated towards the
Surviving Winter Appeal will help to
support older people like these.
They are a prime example of Devon’s
residents who need the support of
the Surviving Winter appeal, but
unfortunately they are far from
unusual. We can’t emphasis enough
what a difference your support could
make to your community this winter.
Indoor temperature and health
Above 18˚C No adverse health effects
Below 16˚C Risk of respiratory infections
Below 12˚C Increased blood pressure
Below 9˚C Deep body temperature falls
Ideal room temperatures Living room 21˚CBathroom 22˚CHall/Stairs 16˚CKitchen 18˚CBedroom 18˚C(World Health Organisation statistics)
dona
te n
ow b
y te
xt “I love this campaign ...
it just makes sense.” Judi Spiers
‘We don’t want to spend much needed cash on promoting this appeal and so word of mouth is vital. If all you can do is tell others, please do, it’s a massive help – Thank you.’
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