32,000 older Cumbrians live alone, and with concerns over social isolation and the cold winter months, action needs to be taken to prevent fuel and food poverty, as well as social isolation for the older community.

The Winter Warmth Appeal collects people’s warm generosity and gives it back out to vulnerable older people to ensure they can heat their homes properly and remain safe and well during the colder months.

Match Funding Challenge – Donate and make double the difference

Donate between 9am 13th November and 5pm 11th December to our Winter Warmth Appeal and your donation will be matched £1:£1 thanks to our match funding champions.  Thanks to the generosity of our match funding champions, we have a match funding pot of £197,550.

Please donate and make double the impact.

Match Funding Champions 2023:
A huge thank you to our generous match funding champions: WCF Ltd, the John Laing Charitable Trust, Cumberland Council, The Hadfield Trust, Lake District Estates, Roselands Trust, Rural Getaways Ltd, Furness Building Society, Holiday Cottages, The Johnson Fund, Harvey Family Fund, and private donors.

WCF Ltd: “As a part employee-owned business, giving back to our local communities is part of our ethos and we’re proud to support the Winter Warmth Fund which provides vital support for vulnerable older people in Cumbria who are facing fuel poverty. As one of Cumbria’s largest oil distributors, we understand the isolation of rural communities, especially during the winter months, which is why we make our most vulnerable customers a priority for heating oil deliveries during cold weather conditions.” Jo Ritzema, Managing Director.

John Laing Charitable Trust: “The John Laing Charitable Trust is delighted to be able to match funds for the Cumbria Community Foundation’s Winter Warmth Appeal again this year. This support will provide some relief during the winter months to vulnerable people in the community, including many struggling to cope with increased fuel prices.” Helen Parker, Trust Director.

Cumberland Council: “The cost-of-living crisis has overtaken Covid-19 as the major public health threat over the coming months. Difficulty in heating houses leads directly to increased lung and heart health problems and contributes to the higher rate of hospitalisations and deaths that we see over the winter, so I’m particularly worried about what might happen this year. Winter is always a particularly difficult time for many people, including those who are older and on lower incomes, and this year is likely to be exceptionally so.” Colin Cox, Cumbria’s Director of Public Health.

Johnson Fund: “Energy prices and essential costs of living generally continue to add immeasurably to the real concerns among particularly the housebound and elderly at the onset of winter. Cumbria Community Foundation’s Winter Warmth Appeal is specifically designed to address this issue, for Cumbrians by Cumbrians, my wife and I wholeheartedly support it and I strongly encourage you all to do likewise.” Jim Johnson.

The Hadfield Trust:  “The Hadfield Trust have a clearly defined set of priorities for funding, by which all applications are judged. Two of these: social needs and help for older people, are both squarely within the aims of the Winter Warmth Appeal. Our Trust has the added confidence in the ability of the Cumbria Community Foundation and their focused network to be able to apply the funds directly to where they are required and so relieve some of the worst effects of a cold Cumbrian winter on the elderly and the needy.” Andrew Forsyth, Trustee

The Roselands Trust: “The Roselands Trust have been pleased to support The Winter  Warmth Appeal since 2010. It is a proven way to actively help enrich the lives of so many elderly and vulnerable people in our region which is the main objective of our charity.” Kenneth Johnson.

Rural Getaways Ltd: “My family have been privileged to be able to build up a fabulous family business in Cumbria over the last 20 years I am proud that I have achieved this from a relatively deprived tough background where we often had to choose between food or heating. That feeling never leaves you and so I am delighted to know that this donation will encourage others to give and together we can make people happy. Oh and of course WARM.” David Khan, Director.

Furness Building Society: “Everyone has the right to feel secure and warm in their own home. Knowing our donation will help ensure local people don’t endure the harsh winter weather without proper heating is an encouraging thought. We’d like to join the foundation in urging other local businesses to get involved. Together, we can make a positive impact in our community by supporting this vital initiative.” Simon Broadley, Chief Commercial Officer

Lake District Estates: “Lake District Estates is proud to support Cumbria Community Foundation’s Winter Warmth Appeal through our new initiative to help local communities and charities. This vital and potentially lifesaving appeal assists the most vulnerable in our local area and we are delighted to help with keeping people safe and warm this winter.” Chris Stoves, Health, Safety and Environmental Manager

holidaycottages.co.uk: “We’re proud to be a match funding champion of Cumbria Community Foundation’s Winter Warmth Fund. As a business, we are passionate about supporting local communities and care about doing the right thing, so we’re delighted to be involved with this important initiative. No matter the size of the donation, if everyone supports the fund, we can all make a big difference to the lives of others.” Stacey Turnbull, Senior Regional Communities Manager