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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Other areas of social welfare law  →  Thread

Warm banks

Vonny
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Welfare rights adviser - Social Inclusion Unit, Swansea

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Hi all
What do people think about the warm bank idea - ie somewhere warm to go for free to survive this winter
What would you call them, is anything being set up in your area, how are places like community centres going to be able to afford their own bills to stay open?
Thanks

Va1der
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Welfare Rights Officer with SWAMP Glasgow

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The image I get is of people huddling together in a sports hall during a natural disaster. It sounds like an absurd last ditch effort that has no place in an, allegedly, modern country.

On the other hand, it sounds like a good way to bring otherwise isolated people together - a bustling volunteer run café that becomes heart of the community.

The people that are most vulnerable to cold, and that would benefit most from such an offer, are also people that tend to be more vulnerable to Covid. I.e. there should be some careful health and safety considerations before community centres etc jump on this.

Helen Rogers
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Stockport Council is trying something like this.  It’s called “Warm Stockport.”  It was originally trialled in Gateshead, where I guess it wasn’t called Warm Stockport.  The idea is to create warm, safe public spaces where it’s socially acceptable to linger.  They’re hoping businesses and community groups will come forward to take part.  They’re looking into whether free tea, coffee and possibly activities can be provided.

Vonny
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Helen Rogers - 30 August 2022 10:23 AM

Stockport Council is trying something like this.  It’s called “Warm Stockport.”  It was originally trialled in Gateshead, where I guess it wasn’t called Warm Stockport.  The idea is to create warm, safe public spaces where it’s socially acceptable to linger.  They’re hoping businesses and community groups will come forward to take part.  They’re looking into whether free tea, coffee and possibly activities can be provided.

Thanks Helen, I have seen what they have on Gateshead’s council website, will see that you have online for Stockport (I was there yesterday)

Vonny
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Welfare rights adviser - Social Inclusion Unit, Swansea

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Va1der - 26 August 2022 09:53 AM

The people that are most vulnerable to cold, and that would benefit most from such an offer, are also people that tend to be more vulnerable to Covid. I.e. there should be some careful health and safety considerations before community centres etc jump on this.

Thanks, I also think that a lot of people who are vulnerable to the cold due to age/disability are the same people who are still not going out and mixing with people due to covid.  What is the biggest risk, dying from the cold this winter or covid?  How has it come to this being a choice people will need to make? :(

[ Edited: 31 Aug 2022 at 12:21 pm by Vonny ]
Helen Rogers
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Welfare rights officer - Stockport MBC

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Vonny
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Helen Rogers - 12 October 2022 08:55 AM

Martin Lewis has produced a whole booklet on this: https://cdn.ymaws.com/cilip.site-ym.com/resource/resmgr/cilip/information_professional_and_news/press_releases/2022_10/a_warm_welcome_2022.pdf

Thanks Helen, that is interesting

Mike Hughes
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Read a statistic about a week ago which estimated that around 50% of those who had originally expressed an interest in the idea had pulled back once they realised their own costs. Will try and go back and see where I’d read that. Have a feeling it was the Big Issue.

Vonny
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There is going to some funding from the Welsh Government, I suspect nothing similar will be offered by the current UK gov :(

Helen Rogers
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