More than £170,000 is being given to help households most in need this winter.

Those benefiting include groups helping the elderly and poverty-stricken and money has also gone to a special fund to help the homeless during severe cold.

The total £171,826 was give out after Dover District Council got the area's grant allocation of the Government’s Household Support Fund from Kent County Council.

Those benefiting are Dover and Deal Foodbanks each gaining- £40,000.

Getting £20,000 each are the Age Concern centres at Deal and Sandwich, Dover Riverside Centre (Friends of Age UK) and Dover District Citizens Advice Bureau.

A total £1,500 goes to United Families, a Deal charity that offers advice, support and guidance to those in need.

And £10,326 will go to the council's Severe Weather Emergency Protocol to support rough sleepers in the worst weather.

Cllr Oliver Richardson, council cabinet member for community, said: “We are very pleased to be able to help this important funding reach those in our communities who need support at this time.”

For more information on how to access help enabled by the fund, see the Household Support Fund page on the DDC site.