Elderly residents in Cumbria have already received £45,000 from the county’s Winter Warmth Appeal as demand for support surges.

Age UK’s Carlisle and Eden branch, along with their colleagues in South Lakeland, have dished out the cash support to elderly people who cannot afford to heat their homes.

The appeal is managed each year by Cumbria Community Foundation.

It is designed to offer help to elderly people who need to turn the heating up as the temperature drops, but would struggle to afford the rising bills.

In a bad winter, 300 older people in Cumbria die due to effects from the cold. The winter Warmth appeal collect fund to give to the older vulnerable community to keep them warm through the cold months.

Across the county there is locations that are not mains connected and use costly fuels to heat their homes this fund will give them the chance to stay warm and safe over the winter.

This year the charities which then pass on the cash to residents have already handed out £45,000.

A spokesperson for Age UK Carlisle and Eden, said: “The Winter Warmth grant is a godsend to many older people who during the winter are faced with the terrible choice of keeping warm or eating.

“We deal with many clients who live in remote areas in old properties which do not have insulation and are not on the mains gas network, so they are reliant on expensive types of fuel such as oil or solid fuel.”

A recipient of the grant, from the Eden area, said: “I am able to put the heating on during the winter without worrying about the cost.

“The grant was very useful during the ‘Beast from the East’ in February and March this year.”

Another recipient, a 73-year-old from the south of the county, said: “The grant gave me peace of mind, for which I am very grateful.

“It was the last thing I expected. It will help me in a lot of ways, especially in terms of my health.

“It makes me feel safer as my house can now be warm, so my joints feel better and I won’t be in as much pain.”

Any online donations to the appeal this week will be doubled as part of the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2018, which started on Tuesday and runs for a week.

The Big Give Christmas Challenge is the UK’s biggest online match funding campaign which helps charities raise funds for their cause.

It offers supporters of participating charities the opportunity to have their donation doubled on the BigGive.org.uk website.

Annalee Holliday, grants and donor services officer at the foundation, said: “During the last eight years, the Winter Warmth Appeal has raised almost £700,000 – we know Cumbrians are well-known for their community spirit.

“We are calling on their warm generosity again to help us raise even more money this year by doubling their donation during the Christmas challenge week.”

Each year the foundation hosts a number of fundraising events, including the Big Sleep.