Surviving Winter grant came just in time for Audrey
Audrey is in her seventies and lives alone. She’s often worried about money and that a sudden unexpected expense could force her into debt. She told us about how the Surviving Winter grant was a lifeline last year, and as the weather starts to get colder, what she faces this winter.
“To be honest I don’t know quite how I manage at the moment. Right now I’m £2.92 overdrawn and I’m incredibly careful with what I spend money on. I live on my own and I have to be very frugal. I have an old car because I like to be independent and allow myself a limited amount of petrol money a month. I save on my hot water where I can and I’m always careful with my heating – so even though it’s getting colder now, I still don’t put it on. I’m 72 and I really feel the cold in my little place.
Last winter was very stressful. The energy company was telling me I owed them money – even though I didn’t, and I was worrying about the disasters that could happen, like the boiler breaking. They all have a call-out charge before they’ll fix anything. And you just think: where am I going to find that extra money from? I’d have had to go further into my overdraft – and if that happens it’ll be almost impossible to catch up with myself. It can all feel so very unfair, sometimes.
It was just so fantastic to get the Surviving Winter grant. I really needed that money – and it came at just the right time.”
Impact Story details
Location: | County-wide |
Theme: | Older People |
Funding Programme:Surviving Winter
Sustainability goals
Along with our own research and insight, the SDGs provide us with a framework to help guide how we distribute funding to our communities and capture the difference our funding makes. As a Community Foundation, it’s in our nature to think globally, but act locally, helping us achieve our mission to help passionate people in Somerset change the world on their doorstep.