Winter brings highest demand for charities, survey reveals

A survey of more than 200 charities has revealed winter as the period of highest demand for support.

The survey was conducted by The Catalytic Foundation, which found that the demand this year is at the highest level since 2020.

The organisation's chief executive Teresa Moore said food insecurity was widely recognised, but cold poverty remained largely hidden.

She said many families were forced to choose between heating their homes, paying bills, or putting food on the table.

"There's a lot of working poor this year, you know, a lot of people that are working but just cannot pay their rent, and finding it really tough.

"There's a whole new wave of people coming through that need support from community charities, and what we're finding with charities is that they're not getting enough resources - not enough donations or resources - to do the work that they want to do."

The Catalytic Foundation has begun a campaign - called The Big Warm Up - to provide households with warm clothing and blankets, as well as tents and sleeping bags for those who are homeless.

"This is about communities showing up for each other," Moore said.

"Every donation helps ensure someone else can face winter with a little more warmth, comfort, and dignity."

As part of the campaign, people are being invited to take part in a mid-winter cold plunge challenge - taking a cold plunge to raise money for families struggling to stay warm.

"It makes it a little bit fun, but the whole thing behind the campaign is that, you know, you're feeling cold now, imagine how this feels all winter when you're trying to get your family warm."

People are also encouraged to get involved in the campaign by donating money, new items, or filling care package bags.

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