Pilton farmer and Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis has pledged his support to an initiative to help vulnerable people in Somerset heat their homes.

The Somerset Community Foundation (SCF) has launched this year's Surviving Winter appeal, which urges people who can afford to donate some or all of their Winter Fuel Payment to help people who may struggle to cover the cost of their bills.

With the cost of living crisis, many of us are facing tough decisions. Some of us have moved to working from home following the pandemic and are facing a winter with increased energy bills. Others are facing even harder decisions about whether to heat or eat. The SCF expects around 11,000 Somerset pensioners to find themselves in fuel poverty this year amid the cost-of-living crisis - around double last year's figure.

The Surviving Winter appeal supports around 800 people in Somerset every year with a cash grant to help them pay their energy bills.

This year, the Surviving Winter grants will increase from £300 to £500 and extra help will be offered for people to buy essential items to stay warm and make their homes more energy efficient. 

Justin Sargent, SCF chief executive, said: "We estimate that at least 5,500 low-income pensioners in Somerset will not have enough money to afford to heat their homes sufficiently this winter.

"Cold weather causes hundreds of preventable deaths every year, with older people and those living in older or isolated rural homes most likely to experience the largest degree of fuel poverty.

"Thanks to the bright idea of one generous pensioner, who asked us many years ago if we could get his Winter Fuel Payment to someone who needed it, we can make sure that hundreds of older people in Somerset are being supported to stay warm, safe and well every winter through our Surviving Winter campaign.

 "And we're delighted to announce that Glastonbury Festival organiser and long-time Surviving Winter donor Michael Eavis CBE has offered his support for another year."

If you would like to donate to Surviving Winter, visit www.somersetcf.org.uk/winter or call 01749 344949. A donation form is also available to download from the Somerset Community Foundation website

This year, alongside the Surviving Winter appeal, SCF is running the Somerset Cost-of-Living Crisis Appeal. Together, these initiatives will provide a lifeline for local people of all ages who are living in poverty.