‘You don’t have to be old to feel the cold’ is the message from Community Action Nelson, who have come up with a plan to help Nelson families keep warm this winter.

Spokeswoman for CAN, Penny Molnar, said the social action group is made up mainly of retired community workers, who are encouraging pensioners who don’t need the new $20 weekly winter energy payment to pass it on.

“It just seemed to us that there are a lot of retired people in Nelson for whom $20 is neither here nor there, while for some families and individuals it could make the difference between running a heater or going cold,” she said. “We know of people travelling to a warmer climate for the winter months who have already decided to pass their heating payment on to someone less affluent. ”

Molnar said CAN fully realised there are pensioners who do need the supplement.

“We’re not intending to pressure anyone but it seems like a good opportunity for those who can afford it to spare a thought for families where children may be suffering the health consequences of a cold home.”

The Nelson Budget Advice Service and the Fifeshire Foundation are acting as agencies to collect the money and pass it on to where it is most needed.

People who are interested in helping can opt to set up a weekly or monthly bank transfer, or to make a one-off payment.

“It might just be a small one-off donation,” Molnar said. “As baby-boomers we’ve had a pretty good innings in terms of government support and this is a way to show we are thinking about others.”

You can pay direct to Budget Advice at 03 1354 0240911 00 and Fifeshire Foundation at 03 1354 0048778 01 and visit the organisations’ websites to find out more about their work in the Nelson community.

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