NEARLY £1,000 was raised to help local people survive the winter at the Hereford Times Food and Drink Awards ceremony.

Finalists and guests at the gala event at Hereford Racecourse donated an "amazing" total of £891 for the Herefordshire Community Foundation's Surviving Winter fund.

The money is distributed to local groups who help people in fuel poverty to stay warm, eat well and stay mobile.

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One recent recipient of a grant wrote: “What the Herefordshire Community Foundation has done for me is so much more than provide me with heating, you have made me feel that I matter and that is priceless”.

The campaign originally began as a way for generous pensioners to ‘recycle’ the government’s universal winter fuel allowance payments.

Those who did not need the government money could donate it to those less fortunate.

People can donate through www.herefordshirecf.org, post a cheque made payable to the Herefordshire Community Foundation to the Fred Bulmer Centre, Wall Street, Hereford, HR4 9HP, or text WARM 10 to 70085 which will cost £10 plus your standard message charge.

Herefordshire Community Foundation is a grant-awarding charity

helping local voluntary and community groups.