THE Surviving Winter appeal has now passed the £80,000 milestone thanks to a huge one-off donation of £20,000.

The lump sum boost came from a charitable trust that has asked to remain anonymous and will help the campaign to support hundreds of people with to stay warm this winter.

The fundraising push is being led by The Suffolk Foundation and Age UK Suffolk, with The East Anglian Daily Times and the East of England Co-operative Society.

The aim is to help older residents on tight budgets pay their energy bills and stay safe as the temperature plummets.

Anyone that feels they are able to forgo their Winter Fuel Payment can donate either part or all of it to the Surviving Winter appeal to help make a difference to someone’s life and reduce fuel poverty in Suffolk.

A spokesman for the charitable trust said: “As a family trust with strong roots in Suffolk, we are very committed to helping those in need, especially during these harsh winter months.

“Our trust is specifically dedicated to helping older people, so the Surviving Winter campaign particularly appealed to us as we find that it is not always easy to give support directly to individuals who may be struggling to pay their heating bills or heat their home adequately. “When we heard about the Suffolk Foundation’s partnership with Age UK Suffolk, our trustees decided that this was a very appropriate way of directing some of our trust’s resources this winter and we thank The EADT for their commitment and support.”

Judi Newman, development director at the Suffolk Foundation, said she was “deeply appreciative” to all donors and that the £80,000 could cover 400 grants of about £200 to households across the county.

She said: “We are incredibly grateful to receive a private trust donation of £20,000 which is a tremendous boost to our ability to support older people in need this winter. Through our partnership with Age UK Suffolk, we know that the funding is getting into the heart of local communities where older people are often very worried about how they are going to keep warm and fed this winter.

“We are deeply appreciative to all our donors who have supported the Surviving Winter appeal with gifts of all sizes and we are delighted to be able to now direct £80,000 into winter hardship grants, transforming lives.”