A CHARITABLE foundation which recently declared 2014 as its most successful year yet has begun grant-making as part of its annual appeal to help vulnerable people in winter.

County Durham Community Foundation (CDCF) announced last week it has handed out more than £2.5m to almost 1,000 good causes this year.

As part of its Surviving Winter appeal, CDCF has given out £3,446.60 to a selection of groups and individuals across County Durham and Darlington.

A CDCF spokesman said: "With increasing numbers of families unable to afford their energy bills and more than 2.28 million households nationally living in fuel poverty, this is great news and there is still opportunity to give out more across the region in the coming weeks."

One of the groups benefitting from the Surviving Winter campaign is Wheatley Hill Community Association, which has received funding to help run its lunch clubs.

The grant covers costs for the luncheons and for transporting elderly residents to the club.

The annual Surviving Winter campaign, which helps older and vulnerable people facing fuel poverty in the colder months, raised £1.46m last year across the country, and helped 23,000 individuals.

Surviving Winter started as a vehicle to recycle Winter Fuel Payment that people had received but didn’t feel that they needed, but quickly expanded to take in donations from people of all ages, and of all amounts, which are directed to the local groups supporting vulnerable people in winter. Donations pay for everything from individual bursaries for fuel bills and hot water bottles to lunch clubs for older people and boiler repairs.

You do not have to be in receipt of a Winter Fuel Payment to support the campaign.

To donate, visit justgiving.com/cdf/donate or send a cheque made payable to County Durham Community Foundation to Freepost RSKC-TLKA-SJJK, CDCF, Victoria House, 2 Whitfield Court, St John’s Road, Meadowfield Industrial Estate, Durham DH7 8XL.

To apply for a grant, visit cdcf.org.uk/ways-to-give/surviving-winter