11 November 2010

Michael Eavis, founder of the Glastonbury Festival, recently celebrated his 75th birthday and has offered to sign over his winter fuel payment to the fund set up by his local community foundation in Somerset. "It's not very often I'm easily persuaded to support other people's ideas of charity giving,” he said. “But on this occasion I could see immediately the sense and logic behind people who are reasonably well off like myself, giving their winter payment to more needy folk in Somerset. So I'm the first person to sign up to the scheme and hope others will follow suit."

Community foundations are supporting their donors by setting up funds to connect people who want to use their allowance productively with those whose need is far greater. Community foundations are charities all over the UK whose remit is to broker such arrangements helping local people give to local needs; using their extensive local knowledge they help donors support charities and community organisations who can most effectively reach the people in need.

The Bishop of Bath and Wells is supporting the initiative in Somerset: “This is a wonderfully imaginative and innovative idea which deserves our full backing. It is a way of helping those in real need,” said Bishop Peter Price. “There is something slightly uncomfortable about receiving Government support for something as basic as winter fuel when you are not in need. My wife Dee and I will therefore be joining others who have decided to donate their Winter Fuel Payment to the Somerset Community Foundation, who can use the money to help local people in real need. We'll also Gift Aid the donation, making it worth even more to the Foundation."

At the same time a donor in Leicestershire is encouraging fellow pensioners to donate their allowance by writing an opinion piece in the local newspaper. Paul Newman: “There are people in our city and counties who receive money from the Government that we don’t need if we are honest. We receive winter fuel payments; free bus passes, free prescriptions. For people like me this amounts to around £500 of money given to me by the Government every year untaxed. We could, if we wanted to, “redirect” that money with a tax credit to local charitable activities that are going to be hit by the cuts.”

In Buckinghamshire Sir Terry Wogan is supporting The Big Heat Fund set up by his local community foundation: “The Big Heat Fund idea from the Community Foundation is an excellent way for local people to help some of the most vulnerable older people in their area. I'll certainly pass my payment on, and encourage everybody who can, to contribute towards it.”

Dame Joan Bakewell, who is championing The Big Heat Fund run by Dorset Community Foundation, said: “I think the Big Heat Fund is a brilliant idea. The winter fuel allowance is a vital payment for many people, but there are others like me who don’t want or need the payment. Giving part, or all of our unwanted winter fuel allowance to the fund ensures the allowance goes directly towards helping people combat fuel poverty.”
Peter Preston, writing in the Guardian last week, called for the growing mass of pensioners who are being shielded from the cuts, to support those who are less fortunate than themselves and will find it hard to survive the coming winter. It would seem that all over the country pensioners are taking the initiative and spearheading campaigns to encourage those who can afford it, and automatically receive the allowance, but feel they do not need the money, to donate it to support community groups and vulnerable people.

In the process of setting up funds are:

• The Big Heat Fund – established by Buckinghamshire Community Foundation
• Surviving Winter Appeal – set up by Somerset Community Foundation
• 125 Fund at Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Community Foundation
• The Big Heat Fund managed by Dorset Community Foundation
• Surviving Winter Appeal set up by Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation
• Manchester, Northamptonshire and
• Norfolk Community Foundations