Suffolk Community Foundation and Citizens Advice Ipswich among organisations to launch Suffolk Cost of Living Surviving Winter Appeal

An appeal to help people cope through the winter months has been launched today at Ipswich's University of Suffolk.

This will be the 12th Surviving Winter Appeal which has been extended and renamed as the Suffolk Cost of Living Surviving Winter Appeal which will focus on food, fuel and support.

There will be grants to help people of all ages pay for fuel, food projects will be supported and charities could also be helped.

The appeal is a joint initiative by Suffolk Community Foundation, Citizens Advice Ipswich, and Suffolk councils’ Warm Homes Healthy People.

Melanie Craig, chief executive of Suffolk Community Foundation, said: "Across the county there are many wonderful food projects, large and small, and this year the appeal will give grants to help some of those providing food to meet the increased demand we know they are seeing.

"We also want to help other smaller Suffolk charities who offer essential help and enable people to be self-sufficient, but are themselves facing challenges with stretched budgets.

"We are very grateful for the support of the Suffolk Building Society who are a donation point for us."

One organisation that is benefitting from the appeal is REACH in Haverhill which helps families and individuals struggling with financial hardship.

Henry Wilson from REACH said: "We are so pleased to be included in the Surviving Winter Appeal. This is fantastic news for the families that we see.

"With the massive increase in fuel bills, every bit of help is so welcome and makes a huge difference for families. Like Ann and Jim who are in their 70’s.

"Ill health means that they need their home warm and so they are struggling to feed themselves, and just can’t afford the basics.

"But when we got in touch to say that there was additional help on the way with their huge electricity bill, they were so overwhelmed and Ann cried. I can’t stress enough how every donation, however big or small can make such a difference to people like Ann and Jim."

For Jim and Ann, to hear that support is on the way is welcome news.

They said: "The team at REACH were wonderful, absolutely wonderful.

"We couldn’t wish for better. We were both in tears when we walked out of there, because we’re not used to people being kind and helpful like that, it was lovely. Without them, we would be stuck. I don’t know what we would do."

In 2021/22 the appeal raised nearly a quarter of a million pounds and provided warmth and other vital financial advice and support to over 1800 households across Suffolk.

The partner organisations are now working hard to ensure the appeal is successful this year.

“Our challenge now is to ensure that this year’s appeal is our most successful yet," Melanie added.

"As always, we encourage people to hold on to their Winter Fuel Payment and other cost of living support if they need it to stay warm and well this winter. However, in the long held ‘Don’t Need it, Donate it’ spirit of this appeal, we ask that those who can make a donation, perhaps from their Government’s Winter Fuel Allowance, donate it to the Appeal."

To donate to the appeal see here or visit any branch of Suffolk Building Society to make a payment.

Anyone who needs individual support can call Citizen’s Advice Ipswich on 01473 298634.