With the latest figures showing that one in five pensioners are living in poverty in the UK (¹), our charity, has launched its 2025 Winter Appeal, taking positive action to support older people who are struggling to make ends meet this winter. Our charity’s Winter Appeal is in place to provide tangible help to older people during the cold winter months by paying for essentials such as winter clothing and warm bedding, heating costs, food, boiler repairs, and insulation.
“The objective of Friends of the Elderly’s 2025 Winter Appeal is to raise as much money as possible to help reduce and alleviate some of the many challenges older people throughout England and Wales will be facing this winter,” said Rachel Hill, our Chief Executive. “Many of the older people we support have nowhere else to go they literally are at breaking point, with no other avenues open to them.”
The charity’s grants have already helped, Walter*. “I live alone in an old house, in winter I’m always shivering,” said Walter. “It needs insulation but the owners say they don’t have the money and if they do mine, they’ll have to do thousands of others, and they can’t do that. “I’m not very well, my legs and feet are all swollen up, I’m losing the feeling in my feet and my fingertips, and I had a mild heart attack last week. I have a real problem with getting around. I never go anywhere now. I’m just here alone. I’m tied to my house. These old houses get very, very cold, it’s hard to stay warm. My doctor tells me ‘Don’t get cold or you’ll end up in hospital,’ so I’ve got to have the heating on, but the gas eats away at my money. All my medicine is kept in the fridge, so I have to use the electricity.”
“I think, ‘Oh it’s a nice day I’ll go for a walk,’ but I take 10 steps then I have to turn around and go home because I’m in so much pain. So I don’t go anywhere at all. There’s an old age club down the road, they say ‘come along’ but I can’t get there. My neighbour takes me to a supermarket once a week and that’s the only time I go out. Since my wife died eight years ago, I’ve been so sick. I can’t take more than 20 steps. I just sit here where I’m sat now. Money is so tight, it’s hard.”
“I grew up on my Grandparents’ farm, come rain or shine, hail or snow, at 4 a.m. I’d be up bringing the cows in, then me and my Gran would milk them. At 18 I got myself a lorry licence, I didn’t want to retire so I worked until I was 71. I’m 75 now and I’d still be working if I could, but I’m losing the grip in my hands so the doctor wouldn’t let me. I’ve tried applying for grants from other places but I just get nowhere, no one else can help me, you make 20 phone calls but still nothing, it’s like banging your head against a brick wall.”
Friends of the Elderly provided Walter with a grant of £400 to help pay for his heating costs. “Helping older people like Walter to keep warm, healthy, comfortable and safe is the heart and centre of what the Winter Appeal is all about,” continued Rachel. “Our Winter Appeal is vitally important – it’s crucial – as it helps us to support older people and make tangible, positive and real differences to their daily lives throughout the cold, winter months.”
“Honestly, this grant is a lifesaver for me. It means I can afford food, electricity and to keep the gas on. For some people £400 is nothing, to me it’s like a million pounds,” added Walter.
“At Friends of the Elderly, we totally understand and entirely appreciate just how tough and challenging the ongoing times are for everyone, so we are immensely grateful for any donation, no matter how small, that people are able and willing to give. All donations to our 2025 Winter Appeal will go directly to helping older people in need throughout England and Wales like Walter,” Rachel concluded.
(¹) https://ageing-better.org.uk/financial-security-state-ageing-2025
*Name changed for confidentiality
Are you able to help older people like Walter* through the bitterly cold and isolating winter months ahead? If you are, please visit: fote.org.uk/winter-appeal/