Warm spaces and friendly faces
Even though the temperature is rising, warm and welcoming spaces around the borough, many funded by Telford & Wrekin Council, are still open. They offer somewhere to socialise, take part in activities and get a hot drink, and often provide food too.
At Together Telford, run by Telford and Wrekin CVS at Hazeldine House on Thursdays (1pm - 4pm) they’re offering a range of activities, hot drinks and food too.
Councillor Paul Watling (Labour), Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for safer and stronger communities, visited CVS’s Together Telford warm space to find out more. He said: “The cost of living crisis has had a huge impact on people and put big pressures on household budgets. So, as a council that’s on the side of our residents, and as part of our Cost of Living Strategy, Telford & Wrekin Council has funded trusted partners around the borough to open these warm and welcoming spaces.
“Here at Telford CVS, they run ‘Together Telford’ sessions every Thursday that anyone can come along to. Talking to people today it’s clear how important these places are right now. Not only are they providing a warm friendly environment for everyone to spend time in, they’re quite the social gathering too. Everyone I’ve spoken to has told me just how much they value having somewhere warm and welcoming to meet friends, and make new ones too."
Debbie Gibbons, CEO at Telford and Wrekin CVS, said: “Our warm space sessions have proved really popular, and people are coming along for a whole range of reasons, for many it’s for the social activities and interaction, for others it’s for some food, a hot drink and a place to get warm. We also offer a whole range of support and can point people in the direction of other agencies who can help too.”
John Pollard from Hollinswood and Sylvia Cartwright from Stirchley are regular visitors to the warm space at Telford CVS and to others around the borough too. John said: “We’re really enjoying coming along to these warm spaces. It’s very social as we often see the same faces and always get a lovely welcome. We visit quite a few of these around Telford and it means we’re saving money on cooking and heating too.”
Telford and Wrekin CVS are one of the 27 trusted partners around the borough, supported by over £100,000 grant funding from Telford &Wrekin Council, to offer warm and welcoming spaces over winter, helping residents during the cost of living squeeze.
For full list of warm spaces open around the borough, plus information about the cost of living support available from Telford &Wrekin Council and trusted partners, visit www.telford.gov.uk/costofliving
