Volunteers help banish January blues with a warm welcome

Employees have been supporting community events to help people struggling with the cold and the January blues as part of Warm Welcome Week.

Volunteer teams turned out to assist staff at libraries in Barnstaple, North Devon and Port Talbot in South Wales, providing hot drinks and activities.

Port Talbot library ran a Warm Welcome Crafty Coffee Afternoon providing an opportunity for people to learn a new craft, chat to other members of the group and learn more about what the library has to offer.

In Barnstaple, NGED staff supported the town library’s Wellbeing Wednesday programme, offering a place to meet and chat, and have hot refreshments.

Both events were run by the Warm Welcome Campaign, as part of Warm Welcome Week, which aims to raise awareness of the thousands of warm spaces available to people nationwide this winter.

Emily Green, NGED’s Volunteering and Sponsorship Coordinator, said: “As supporters of the Warm Welcome Campaign, we were thrilled to have colleagues volunteering at these events in Barnstaple and Port Talbot, which came at a point of winter that can be difficult for many people.

“Through our ongoing partnership with Warm Welcome, we’ve been working together to provide tailored training for Warm Space volunteers, with referral pathways and longer-term support for customers in vulnerable situations.”

David Barclay, Warm Welcome Campaign Director, said: “We know demand for Warm Welcome Spaces will be high this January, not only supporting people struggling to pay the bills but also playing a vital role in connecting communities and giving people a place of belonging.

“The dark winter days and nights of January can be extremely tough. We don’t want anyone to feel cold or alone this winter.”

New research by the Warm Welcome Campaign shows that although the number of Warm Welcome Spaces is growing, more work is needed to ensure everyone can find a place of warmth and belonging. Although nearly 66% of the population live within a 30-minute walk of a Warm Welcome Space, only 20% of people are aware of how to find their local Warm Welcome Space.

Find your local Warm Welcome Space by visiting this online map.