Cornwall Community Foundation (CCF) has expressed thanks to everybody who has supported the Surviving Winter appeal so far.

Through generous donations, the CCF has collected more than £14,000 so far for grant making.

CCF is a charity, based at Launceston, investing in projects in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly that engage people in making their communities better places to live.

The CCF is calling on anyone who receives the Winter Fuel Payment but does not need some or all of it, to donate it to Cornwall’s Surviving Winter campaign.

The CCF is now welcoming applications from organisations helping elderly and vulnerable people stay warm and well this winter.

The campaign, associated with the UK-wide Surviving Winter appeal, is encouraging individuals to raise funds to help elderly and vulnerable residents across the county who are suffering throughout the winter due to rocketing energy prices, lack of access to hot food and energy efficiency issues.

Last winter the CCF managed to double the amount that was awarded. The campaign allocated £19,576 in grants to a total of 15 organisations.

The CCF said 24% of households in Cornwall are in fuel poverty, rising to 40% in parts of the Duchy, and said this winter-centric issue causes serious health problems including heart attacks and strokes with more than 342 ‘excess’ deaths in Cornwall in winter each year. The CCF said poor health from a lack of warmth affects another 50,000 people.

Oliver Baines, chief executive officer of the CCF, said: “Last year we were overwhelmed by the generosity of all those who supported this crucial campaign. Winter celebrations can often blind us to how difficult a time this can be for elderly people, who without valuable support find surviving the winter an exhausting experience.

“Heating bills, staving off coldness and the threat of hypothermia are just some the dangers, Loneliness can take its toll too. Four years ago the CCF ran the first of its Surviving Winter campaigns, and this year we do so for the fifth time, aiming to raise £30,000 to help those most in need of our support.

“We are calling on all of our Friends and the public to the most vulnerable residents in Cornwall. We will distribute the funds among community groups responding to these needs across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.”

Donations can be made by sending a cheque made payable to The Cornwall Community Foundation, Suite 1, Sheers Barton, Lawhitton, Launceston, Cornwall, PL15 9NJ or by visiting www.cornwallfoundation.com and following the links to the Just Giving page.

For further information, contact a member of staff on 01566 779333 or email office@cornwallfoundation.com