AS heating bills and living costs rise, a County Durham charity has launched an appeal to help those facing a winter of hardship.

The Northern Echo is backing County Durham Community Foundation's Poverty Hurts Appeal to raise funds that will support local families, individuals and senior citizens on the breadline this winter.

Donations will help reduce poverty and its causes and help make sure no-one has to choose between heating and eating.

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One in three children in the region now live in poverty, according to research by Save the Children. Staggeringly, some areas fair even worse. with around 46 per cent of children in Middlesbrough classed as living in poverty.

Businesses and individuals new to the foundation can also boost their donation with a match funding offer of 50p for every £1, up to a donation total of £1,000.

Chief executive Michelle Cooper said: “The statistics around poverty in our communities are just brutal, but I know that behind each number is a story of suffering that’s even worse. We recently visited a project we have funded, and the team told us one family had not eaten for three days but didn’t want to ask for help.

“Our hope is that the appeal will being some crucial support and relief to families and the elderly as we approach the winter months. It’s never too late to turn things around.”

County Durham Community Foundation is a registered charity and has been working in North East communities for 26 years. Thanks to generous donors, the foundation funds projects that improve lives and reduce poverty. Throughout the pandemic, it has distributed millions of pounds in funding to support County Durham and Tees Valley communities.

Michelle added: “By partnering with local businesses and donors, we are growing a Foundation that will meet the changing needs of our communities for years to come.”

One in three children in the region now live in poverty, according to research by Save the Children. Staggeringly, some areas fair even worse. with around 46% of children in Middlesbrough classed as living in poverty.

Meanwhile, recent data for excess winter deaths show 328 were recorded in Tees Valley and a further 230 recorded in County Durham. Excess winter deaths are the rise in the number of deaths in the winter months compared to the warmer months of the year and have been strongly linked to colder homes where fuel poverty is a problem.

A report released in September by the Northern Health Science Alliance showed the devastating impact of the pandemic on people across the North of England. The mortality rate due to Covid-19 was 17 per cent higher than the rest of the country, the unemployment rate was 19per cent higher and the North experienced a larger drop in mental wellbeing, more loneliness, and higher rates of antidepressant prescriptions.

Donations to the appeal will support people in County Durham and Tees Valley and the work of the Foundation.

To access match funding or learn more, please click here.

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