Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation has launched the ‘Surviving Winter’ Campaign 2012 with a video,  helping our older and vulnerable people tackle fuel poverty and survive the winter.

HIWCF aims to raise £25,000 to help those at risk heat their homes, keep healthy and even to buy cosy slippers and blankets.

Former ITV World of Sport presenter, Dickie Davies, supports this important campaign explaining:

“As the UK gets its first wintry blast this weekend and another energy provider announced last Friday price increases in excess of 10%, now more than ever our elderly will be at risk of death during the winter ahead.”

This is the generation that survived the war, survived rationing in the 50’s and have gone without for their families, and now a combination of poor living conditions, bad diet, and circulatory or respiratory diseases, which are worsened by the cold, makes it difficult for many of them to survive the winter.

It is estimated that there are 7 million people living in fuel poverty throughout the UK – and 80,000 of these live in our communities across Hampshire.

There were 23,700 preventable cold weather related deaths in England during 2010/2011, of which 1,070 were in Hampshire.

Many of us know someone  for whom we can make a difference. Help them survive this winter by sharing this video with them via the Silver Marque blog.