rory helps launch cumbria’s ‘share the warmth’ winter appeal

Rory has joined fellow Cumbrians the Bishop of Carlisle James Newcome, Sir Melvyn Bragg, Sir Chris Bonington, and fellow MPs Tim Farron and Sir Tony Cunningham to help launch Cumbria Community Foundation’s 2012 Winter Warmth Fund Appeal. The MP for Penrith and the Border on Friday joined school children at High Hesket Primary School to help raise awareness about this important fund – now in its third year. He met and chatted with teachers and children, who had been busy knitting and building from Lego the Winter Warmth Fund’s logo – for which they will be in with a chance of claiming £200 worth of Derwent Pencils for their school. The pencil company has kindly given six prizes – one for each council district – for the school that comes up with the best recreation of the fund’s logo.

Rory said: “It’s a fantastic honour to once again be supporting Cumbria Community Foundation’s Winter Warmth Appeal this year. Yet again Andy Beeforth and his team have planned an excellent awareness-raising campaign, and I’ll be doing my bit to encourage Cumbrians to contribute if they can. Many homes in my constituency are of traditional construction and away from mains gas, so are expensive to heat and hard to insulate. This makes staying warm and safe especially challenging, and that is why I fully support this important Appeal.”

The aim of the fund is to prevent needless suffering of the elderly and those in need by asking for donations from the community. Many donations come from older people who get the Government’s Winter Fuel Payment, but feel they don’t need it as much as others.

Andy Beeforth, Director of Cumbria Community Foundation, explains the difference the Winter Warmth Fund has made: “In the first year we raised and distributed a pot of £10,000. Last year our donations quadrupled, bringing in £42,000 which directly helped 433 pensioners in need. We’re hoping people will be generous so we can help even more older people this winter.

Bishop James Newcome said: “I was touched by the stories of some of the many hundreds of people who were helped by last year’s Winter Warmth Appeal. Their bodies were warmed by other people’s generosity and so was my heart.  I do hope that this year’s appeal will be equally successful.”