Farnborough Lions Club (CIO) are gathering donations to help those in our community who can't afford to heat their homes this winter. With the sharp rises in energy costs many families in Farnborough will be faced with the harsh reality of choosing whether to heat their homes or buy food.

If you have received the Government Winter Fuel Allowance and are in a position to make even a small donation, please look kindly on those less fortunate and help where you can. We will hold all donations in a separate fund to pay fuel charges.

We work with partners such as Citizens Advice, Rushmoor Voluntary Services, Rushmoor Council, local churches, Vivid Housing and the Royal British Legion who identify those in need and refer them to us. Payments are then made direct to the energy companies to help clear their fuel debt.

In order to comply with Charity Commission rules, we as Farnborough Lions Club (CIO) have to declare that if after 12 months we have not used all this year's donations for fuel poverty recipients, we reserve the right to transfer any surplus from that year into our Welfare Account. These funds will then be used for our normal purposes such as helping local people who have slipped through the welfare net and assisting other charities and worthy causes. We can then ensure that we have no surplus funds sitting idle when they could be used to do good elsewhere. Any donation should be made on the basis of acceptance of this condition.