MORE than £15,000 has already been donated to an appeal to help keep vulnerable people warm this winter.

Somerset Community Foundation is asking people over 60 who can afford to give up their Winter Fuel Payment to donate it to others who may not find it so easy to meet their energy bills.

The money collected will then be recycled through local charities and community organisations to reach people who really need it.

Foundation chief executive Justin Sargent said: “Cold weather, loneliness and social isolation create a dangerous and potentially deadly combination for many older people living in Somerset this winter.

“With just a little support from those who can afford it, there are many projects and organisations, often led by local volunteers, who can transform people’s lives this winter and beyond.”

Mr Sargent said that if just 1% of people in receipt of the Winter Fuel Payment in Somerset donated it, they could raise a total of £150,000.

The groups supported by the Somerset Community Foundation in the past include the West Buckland Friendship Club, which provides social activities and companionship to older people facing spiralling costs and increasing isolation in a rural area, and the Minehead Singing for the Brain group, which reduces the impact of Alzheimer’s and also provides social activities and companionship to older people facing spiralling costs and increasing isolation in a rural area.

To donate, send a cheque made payable to Somerset Community Foundation and if you can, gift aid using the coupon below.

To find out more about the scheme or donate online visit www.somersetcf.org.uk