Elderly and vulnerable people across South Bucks and Berkshire are being given extra support to stay warm and well during the winter months.

The Cadent Gas company's Cadent Foundation has donated £40,000 the community action charity Groundwork to create 2,700 winter warmer packs for those most in need.

The packs will be distributed via local food banks and community hubs in towns and cities across the UK, including those in South Bucks as well as Windsor and Maidenhead.

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Each pack contains a range of items to help people keep warm this winter such as socks, gloves, hat, scarf, hot water bottle, blanket, thermal flask mug and energy saving lightbulbs.

Respiratory diseases accounted for almost 40 per cent of all excess winter deaths and according to fuel poverty charity National Energy Action, 8,500 were due to cold homes.

Graham Duxbury, National Chief Executive of Groundwork, said: “Around four million people in the UK are in fuel poverty, unable to afford to live in a warm, dry home. During the cold winter months people are expected to use 30 per cent more energy on average than they normally would.

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"With more people at home, increased utility costs and unemployment rising due to the financial impact of the pandemic, more families will be experiencing extreme financial hardship as well as the emotional strain of keeping themselves and their loved ones well."