Charity fears funding loss after 60 years....

(Broadcast on BBC Radio Stoke, January 2015)

The charity which provides affordable fuel for homes in rural parts of Staffordshire has told BBC Radio Stoke it expects to lose its government funding.

The Community Council of Staffordshire is one of 38 rural groups across England that have been told by the Department for Environment that funding could stop from the end of March.

The charity -- which is also responsible for the 'Best kept Village' competition -- has been supported by the government since 1954.

BBC Radio Stoke's EMMA THOMAS has been to find out what impact the Community Council has in one Staffordshire village...

(We asked for Defra to come on and explain why its considering cutting the funding to some rural groups but they told us no-one was available - they had sent us a statement which says it is "carefully considering future funding and no final decision has been made." )