We’ve just launched our second Warmer Winter appeal, to ask for our community to help us provide emergency prepayment fuel vouchers to local people and families so they can stay warmer this winter.
As the nights draw in and temperatures drop, we’re meeting many people and families referred to us for emergency food, who also can’t afford to top up their gas and electricity prepayment meters. This is leaving many at risk of going without enough warmth, light and hot water this winter.
One mother, who parents alone and has a disability which means she is unable to work, told us how her income from benefits is too low to cover essential costs like sufficient heating:
“Sometimes I haven’t been able to put the gas on because it’s costing so much. It cost me £40 a week to have it on. For me, it’s a lot of money because obviously I can buy other stuff with that for my daughter. So unless it’s really cold, we won’t have it on.”
Your gift will help us provide emergency prepayment fuel vouchers to local people and families, in similar situations to this mother, so they can stay warmer this winter.
Two-thirds of people referred to us in hardship – like this mother – have a long-term health condition or disability, and are on a very low income that doesn’t cover the cost of essentials, but need to keep warm. Children are particularly vulnerable in cold and damp homes; and around 1 in 3 emergency food parcels we provide are for children.
But you can help by donating what you can to our Warmer Winter appeal today. If you can Gift Aid your donation, this will provide an extra boost and enable us to help more people.
We’ll convert donations into £49 fuel prepayment vouchers and issue them directly to local people and families referred in severe hardship to Wandsworth Foodbank, in partnership with Thinking Works (a local not-for-profit company).
These vouchers will enable people and families to top up their prepayment meters, ensuring they can cook the food we provide, have enough light and hot water, and put the heating on on the coldest days.
Last year’s appeal helped us provide more than 500 emergency fuel vouchers to local people referred to the food bank in hardship, and made a real difference. Thank you so much.
