IN times of adversity we must pull together with our indomitable British bulldog spirit.

The county council has taken the extraordinary step of appealing for our help and charity in the face of stringent budget cuts.

We all like to poke fun at politicians from time to time, but the fact remains that our local councillors work incredibly hard and deserve credit.

Just the other day, I chatted to a councillor who had spent an entire day answering emails from her constituents.

Oxfordshire is one of the wealthiest counties in the United Kingdom and in theory we could surmount this blockade if we all pull together.

I will be following Michael Hugh-Jones’s suggestion and will be making a donation to the county council fund. I hope that many others will do likewise.

The county council now needs to make the process very simple to encourage as many donations as possible.

It feels better to give than to receive.

SUSAN THOMAS Magdalen Road Oxford