Everybody needs somebody to love on Valentine’s Day.

But this year, a campaign is asking people to show some affection for their home town as well.

Love Kingston is inviting residents, schools, university students, businesses and organisations to give their hearts, and cash, to the borough on February 14.

The first Love Kingston Day will be held next month, encouraging anyone who lives or works in the borough to hold a fundraising event on Valentine’s Day in support of the Love Kingston campaign.

The idea is to hold a day of fundraising for the campaign, part of Kingston Voluntary Action’s (KVA) Transforming Kingston’s Infrastructure project.

Half of the donations received will go to the campaign’s five charities – domestic violence support network Hestia, Kingston Foodbank, Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness, youth project Oxygen and credit union Kingston Savers.

The other half will go to the Kingston Legacy Fund, which will support the long term future of other groups and charities in the borough.

Elaine Miller, Love Kingston’s fundraising manager, said: “We want everyone to embrace Love Kingston Day and support the campaign – whether you organise a quiz night, cake sale or coffee morning, donate pocket money, have a fancy dress party, cook friends a meal or get sponsored to sit in a bathtub of cockroaches – we want you to have fun.

“There are several pockets of deprivation in the borough. In some areas 2 per cent of the wealthiest in the UK are living side by side with 2 per cent of the poorest.

“Many residents are feeling the impact from the current economic downturn and recent austerity measures.

“Love Kingston projects provide a safety net for many families and individuals that are in crisis, while the Kingston Legacy Fund will continue to grow and support the changing needs of our community long into the future.”

The Government has made £128,702 in match funding available to the Kingston Legacy Fund between now and March 2015.

However, in order to access the first installment of £48,263, the campaign needs to raise £193,052 by March this year.

To make a donation, or for more information, contact Elaine Miller on 07834 362120 or email elaine@londoncf.

org.uk For a list of fundraising ideas, project details, information about the Kingston Legacy Fund, and to make a donation online, visit love-kingston.org.uk or surreycomet.co.uk.

The campaign now has a Facebook site: Love Kingston Day

q What will you do for Love Kingston day?

Call the newsdesk on 020 8744 4244 to let us know how you are planning on fundraising.