WADWORTH has helped the Wiltshire Community Foundation towards a record-breaking year in its 10th anniversary Surviving Winter appeal.

The Devizes brewer, which has been a supporter of the Community Foundation for more than 25 years, raised £1,500 by donating 10p from sales of its Winters Tail festive beer in its Wiltshire pubs throughout December.

It helped the charity hit its target of £90,000 for the appeal, its highest ever total, which means that 300 elderly and vulnerable people in Wiltshire and Swindon living in fuel poverty received £300 grants.

Wadworth’s commercial director, Jonathan Thomas said: “We're delighted to be able to support this fantastic appeal by giving something back to our community. The Surviving Winter campaign has been helped by our customers raising some festive cheer and fundraising in the process.”

Winters Tail, a winter real ale, sold in 65 of Wadworth’s pubs over the festive period and Mr Thomas was pleased with how it was received by customers.

Fiona Oliver, director of development and marketing for the community foundation, said: “Wadworth is a wonderful supporter of our cause and this generous donation demonstrates what a grateful a caring, community-minded company they are.

“Our Surviving Winter campaign is becoming increasingly important and we know these grants make a huge difference to the recipients, many of whom have to make choices between heating their homes and eating properly. We have had a long relationship with Wadworth, and they are a perfect example of a company that takes its corporate social responsibility very seriously. Their support is fantastic.”

The Wiltshire Community Foundation has been running the campaign since 2010. Every year in Wiltshire 300 people die from cold-related illness.

The South West has the UK’s highest rate of fuel poverty – those who cannot afford to spend the average amount needed to heat their homes. Across the region the National Office of Statistics says 11.4 per cent of homes live in fuel poverty. But the same statistics say that there are pockets of Wiltshire where up to 36 per cent of households fall into that bracket.