Cash plea to stop county’s vulnerable dying from cold

Nottinghamshire Community Foundation is urgently appealing for donations to its third Surviving Winter inititiative.

During the winter of 2011/2012 winter 40 people in Mansfield and 30 in Ashfield died from causes directly attributable to the cold.

The foundation provides grants to local charities, and community organisations and also aims to help at least 50 individual households.

Chief executive, Nina Dauban said, “As energy prices continue to increase, hundreds more families and vulnerable people cannot afford to stay warm.

“Many people wish to help their local neighbourhoods, particularly those who are vulnerable.

“They often don’t know how or where to give their donation and sometimes think that their £100 or £10 wont make a difference.

“It does, every penny counts and many of the winter-related deaths in Nottinghamshire are preventable for just a few pounds.”

Last year the Beacon Project at Mansfield’s St John’s with St Mary’s Church, received £1,000 from the appeal.

The project started life several years ago offering teas, coffee and beans on toast at the back of the church to several young homeless people, but it is now based in the old Church Hall, on Wood Street, and helps between 30 and 40 people each day.

It provides a range of services to homeless people including hot meals, facilities for washing clothes, showeraccess to a nurse from a local surgery.

Manager Mary Lane, who runs the service with a team of volunteers, said: “We work with people who sleep rough and others who are marginalised and live in poor conditions.

“All donations make a real difference and are gratefully received by the project.”

People can donate online by going to: www.nottscf.org.uk/donate/surviving-winter-appeal or by sending a cheque made payable to Nottinghamshire Community Foundation to Pine House B, Ransom Wood Business Park, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG21 0HJ.

The foundation asks that ‘Surviving Winter Appeal’ is written on the back of the cheque.