Every year the number of people in fuel poverty (those whose fuel costs are more than ten per cent of their income) increases.

In the past six months energy bills have risen, or are projected to rise, by around ten per cent, while incomes for elderly and vulnerable people have remained static. In simple terms that means that more people this winter will face the choice of either turning their heating down or going without other essentials.

And it’s not just about warmth: for many people, winter means being more isolated and inactive. Later this month Oxfordshire Community Foundation, in conjunction with other voluntary organisations, is running its third Surviving Winter Campaign to help people cope with the difficulties of winter. There are two ways in which people can help:

For those over 65 who feel they can do without the Government’s Winter Fuel Allowance, donate part, or all of it, to OCF who will arrange for the money to go to the people who need it most;

For everyone, old and young, to volunteer for a Good Neighbour Scheme which offers help to the elderly, to people with disabilities, to those in temporary need through illness, or to anyone who may be isolated.

To get more information about the campaign and the different Good Neighbour schemes, you can go to OCF’s website (www.oxfordshire.org) or contact ashley@oxfordshire.org We do hope as many people as possible will support this imaginative and valuable initiative.

MARGIE AND JIM CAMPBELL, Frenchay Road, Oxford