HEATERS, blankets and fires are being distributed to some of the region's most vulnerable elderly people, as a result of the Manchester Evening News' Winter Warmer Appeal.

The appeal acknowledged the large number of elderly people across the region who struggle to pay their fuel bills - choosing to shiver in their homes for fear of notching up bills they can't pay or being warm and facing debts they can't afford.

And it asked the relatively well-off over-60s - who receive the government's £200 fuel allowance, but didn't feel they needed it to heat their homes - to donate all or part of the allowance to the appeal.

More than 100 people donated to the Winter Warmer Appeal - with cheques ranging between £5 and £300 - raising more than £17,863 in just a few weeks.

And now the 11 Age Concern centres in Greater Manchester and Macclesfield each have £1623 to fund a number of projects to keep the elderly safe and warm in their homes in their areas.

As well as providing emergency heaters, blankets, fires and timers, the fund will be used to run electric blanket testing sessions - which Age Concern say have repeatedly revealed high numbers of unsafe electric blankets being used.

In some cases it will also be used to fund electricity pre-payment cards or emergency food packs. And branches of Age Concern may also use it for other crisis intervention measures, at their discretion.

One 72-year-old man in Macclesfield - who has one set of clothes and one pair of shoes - is among those who are set to benefit from the Winter Warmer Appeal.

He has just moved into sheltered accommodation after years spent living in a caravan and is already deeply concerned about paying for fuel.

Money from the appeal will be used by Age Concern to provide him with a change of warm winter clothes and shoes, warm bedding and assistance with his winter fuel bills.

Madelyn Bridge, chief executive of Age Concern East Cheshire, which covers the Macclesfield area, said: "What we have now been able to do for him is provide him with more clothes and bedding and give him assistance with his fuel bills.

Shoes
"He only had one set of clothes and one set of shoes so he didn't have a change of clothes and he had one blanket that was donated to him.

"This will make a tremendous difference. He is going to be warm and secure and has the reassurance that he can turn his heating on. Because he had lived in a caravan he wasn't used to paying fuel bills and he was worried about the cost of them and the worry is that he won't have the heating on."

Ms Bridge says this man's circumstances are among the more "severe" cases that they deal with. But she says fuel poverty is real for many older people, who are often too proud to seek help.

"This is a severe case, but fuel poverty - and choosing between putting the heating or eating - is quite common with older people," she said.

"Even people who are living in nice properties that they have lived their whole lives in don't have the money to eat it properly and can end up living in one room with a small electric heater.

"It can be hidden to a certain extent because older people are proud and they don't want to make a fuss. They have been brought up in a generation that looks after itself and they don't like to ask for charity and they don't know they can get some help."

According to Ms Bridge the MEN's Winter Warmer Appeal has been "incredibly successful".

She said: "The generosity of people to have donated their £200 grant to people who are less fortunate has been really generous. It has been incredible. It doesn't have to be mega-bucks to make a huge difference."

Last year there were about 3,000 deaths in the north west as people turned their heating off because they were scared of rising bills. Ms Bridge says it is vitally important that older people stay warm.

She said: "Keeping warm is very important - hypothermia is a killer. Older people are susceptible to cold weather."