This Winter due to Lockdown, the LHERA looked for another way to spend this fund than the way we did last year, residents were worried about their fuel bills and whether they would be able to pay them when they arrived.

The LHERA were able to secure two grants which would help with this, one of them was the Winter Warmth Grant.

Due to cash flow the LHERA had to wait until the money was in the LHERA account for a second grant from ECC, before being able to implement the Winter Warmth allocation to pensioners.

This was due to having a high number of pensioners on our list and wanting to ensure that the allocation would be beneficial to all concerned.

The second grant we allocated to those who were mainly 80 to 92 years young, and as stipulated by that grant also to families with children.

The Winter Warmth Grant, the LHERA allocated to those pensioners who were mainly 70 to 80 years young.

These two groups would before COVID-19 have spent a portion of the day each week, either out, by meeting each other for a tea or coffee, shopping or being taken out by family and would have turned their heating off whilst out.

Due to Lockdown, they were all separated and at home. To keep warm they needed to keep their heating on during bad weather, they worried about the bills but needed the heating on.

The LHERA and residents in receipt of this fund are most grateful for the help provided. The residents have all found it difficult under the pandemic and the weather has not helped as everyone was isolated in their own homes, with no opportunity to turn down or turn off heating when leaving the house, which was quite a normal practice for people to use in order to save a little money.

The LHERA do know, however, that some of them did, in fact, turn their heating off during part of the day. This was discovered when two of them had falls indoors.

The LHERA have been checking on these two groups weekly, since March 2020, delivering bread and necessities under three grants for “The Bread Run” from ECF. Then in February and March/April to a proportion of them under EALC – Lockdown Support – Hampers.

Whilst Lockdown has been lifting, we also know that many of our residents who were shielded are still dubious about going out to shop or visit friends as further Lockdown lifts. Some are also now presenting with mobility problems.

The LHERA volunteers will continue to check that our older residents and those chronically ill are physically and mentally well.