Somerset Community Foundation (SCF) is delighted to announce that the 2019/20 Surviving Winter appeal has raised a record-breaking £110,000, thanks to the generosity of local donors.

The team at SCF, which is based at the Bath and West Showground near Shepton Mallet, have been distributing funding across the county, and aim to support more than 500 vulnerable older people with a Surviving Winter grant, helping to keep them warm, safe and well.

The annual appeal encourages pensioners who can afford to, to donate some or all of their Winter Fuel Payment.

These donations provide funding and support to our older neighbours across Somerset who are struggling to heat their homes.

Since Surviving Winter first launched in Somerset in 2010, the appeal has raised £800,000 in total for the county.

SCF's development director, Laura Blake, thanked local people for rallying behind the appeal: "We have been absolutely blown away by the support we've received for this year's Surviving Winter appeal.

"We're hugely grateful to each and every person who has donated - and particularly those who donate year after year.

"Without your support, we know lots of older people in Somerset would be suffering in silence during the cold winter months."

SCF would also like to thank TelePA who offered their services for free to the charitable campaign this year.

The telephone answering service, based in Westbury-sub-Mendip, took dozens of calls from Somerset residents wishing to donate to the Surviving Winter 2019/20 appeal.

For information on how to apply for a Surviving Winter grant, contact either the Community Council for Somerset on 01823 331222 or click on the red button below.

To donate some or all of your Winter Fuel Payment, or to make a donation of any size to the Surviving Winter appeal, click on the red button below to donate online, send a cheque made payable to Somerset Community Foundation (writing SW on the reverse), to Yeoman House, Bath and West Showground, Shepton Mallet, BA4 6QN, or call 01749 344949.

Donation and Gift Aid forms are available to download on the SCF website.