WINTER’S drawing in and hot chocolate is being used to do more than just people warm in Eastcott.

Eastcott Community Organisation, which manages Savernake Street Social Hall, is in the running for a £300 cash prize from The Galaxy Hot Chocolate Fund 2014.

Every week until February 23, 2015, Galaxy will donate five cash awards to community groups and charities across the UK and Ireland.

ECO is in the running for this week’s fund and needs votes from the public to boost its chances, which could ultimately lead to an Old Town eco-festival.

Anna Smart, an ECO trustee, said: “We are just wanting to run this eco-fest event, which we have been talking about running and wondering where we are going to get the money from.

“It may only be £300, but we are quite used to making money stretch a long way.

The aim is to launch a community garden in the green space next to the Savernake Community Centre alongside the eco-fest. Anna said the spring event would offer environmental crafts, gardening and seed swaps.

“What we do will depend on whether we get the money,” said Anna, of Noremarsh Road, Royal Wootton Bassett.

“We just want people to keep voting.

“We are confident we have the public support, but we don’t know whether that will be enough compared with other projects.”

ECO was funded a number of years ago through the previous guise of this fund, which was then fronted by Mars.

In the brief put forward by ECO to Galaxy, it said: “We have a large green space next to the community centre and a sub-group have been researching how we can develop this into a cared-for and exciting community garden or social space.

“We would use the prize to hold the Old Town eco-fest.

“People will be able to give and take unused items at our free shop, swap plants and seeds, get information from a range of groups, and learn new skills in a number of hands-on workshops.

“The event would gather support for the new community garden.”

To vote, visit galaxyhotchocolate.com