Warm Spaces: What can we learn?
Twelve months ago, the phrases, “warm spaces”, “warm banks” and “warm hubs” were little known in their current context. However, the worsening cost-of-living crisis, exacerbated by high energy and food prices, the conflict in Ukraine, and the pandemic, mean that a year later, libraries, places of worship and community centres have opened their doors to those struggling to pay their energy bills and keep warm during the colder months. We spoke to Aneta Wujek, Policy and Networks Coordinator at Communities 1st, about their experiences of warm spaces and what they are learning about the challenges facing people in their communities.
Communities 1st supports Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations across the districts of St. Albans, Hertsmere, Broxbourne, and East Hertfordshire to develop, connect with each other and improve people’s quality of life. Their work in relation to warm spaces is in two parts, one supporting their members and local VCS organisations who are part of the scheme, and the other is hosting warm spaces themselves. “The first part of what we do is more strategic, helping our members, faith, and voluntary sector organisations to either extend their existing provisions or to put in place completely new ones. We secured some money from philanthropists and an energy company and have been able to give organisations across Hertfordshire grants of up to £1000. We also help with training, so they have all the policies they need,” Aneta said. “As Communities 1st, we also have our own warm spaces. We manage three community centres in Hertsmere and provide warm spaces three days a week.”
Like many, hosting warm spaces was not something they had previously done. “It was completely new to us,” she explained. “We began thinking about warm spaces in the summer, but we did not see the real impact of the cost-of-living crisis until October, that’s when we started seeing a shift in the amount of money people could spend in household budgets and when we seriously started to think about what to do.” As well as providing grants for warm spaces, Communities 1st also provides training to their members.
“To be a part of our warm hubs directory, you have to have a safeguarding policy in place, if not, we do offer safeguarding training, you need a very robust risk assessment and public liability insurance. We also do training like food safety for some organisations who are providing food and refreshments,” Aneta said.
The reasons for attending warm spaces can vary, with some seeing it as a place to keep warm, others looking for advice, but many wanting to socialise. “What we’re seeing is that it is used for social interactions, meeting people, and having a cup of tea, and that’s how we advertise it. If we ask people to come to a warm space, we have found that there is a stigma of not being able to provide for their family or heat their home. People also have to trust you before they will open up, whether they face problems with mental health, or paying their bills,” she described.
To avoid any awkwardness or embarrassment around warm spaces, many venues are offering other services and activities for people to get involved in. “At every warm space there will be something going on, for example, we have one group who has three warm spaces a week, one is a movie club after school for children and parents, one is a coffee morning for elderly people, and then a community night on Friday evening from 7pm to 11pm. We also educate about energy and use it as a platform for other services and courses we offer like the Multiply project,” Aneta explained. However, she believes it will be another couple of months before we really see the effectiveness of warm spaces schemes. “The full impact of warm spaces and whether they were as needed as we thought is all to come. I think by March we will have a better understanding. I think there will still be a need this year, I don’t think warm spaces are going anyway, but perhaps not as many, it is hard to say.”
Communities 1st has found that one of the benefits of connecting with other warm spaces has been improved networking. “We are getting to know more about what is happening in our own area,” Aneta said. “There were some organisations that existed before COVID and then completely disappeared, there were also others that have popped up like more foodbanks and community pantries. We’re now getting to know other organisations better so we can support them further.”
Capability Building Event – Warm Spaces
On 26 January 2023, the Emergencies Partnership hosted two capability building events, one of which focussed on warm spaces. We were joined by a panel of guests from the sector to discuss their experiences, as well as share good practice, lessons that can be drawn from the last few months and how we can ensure such spaces are as inclusive and accessible as possible. Our speakers were:
Ady Clee – Salvation Army, Kamran Hussain – Green Lane Masjid, Dan White – Disability Rights UK, Laura Collingnon – Kensal Warm Spaces, and Alison Dunn – Gateshead Council and Citizens Advice Gateshead.
The main points of discussion were:
Not Just Warmth: Several of our speakers explained how important it had been to ensure that people didn’t feel there was a stigma around warm spaces. To avoid this, a variety of activities have been arranged such as coffee mornings and board games clubs. These groups provide a warm space, whilst also combatting social isolation and acting as a hub for advice and signposting.
Accessibility: We heard from Disability Rights UK about how warm spaces could be made more inclusive and why accessibility means more than just level-access. Suggestions included quiet spaces for people with autism who could find a busy environment overwhelming, and the need for better community transport to allow people with disabilities to reach warm spaces.
Warm Spaces Gateshead Charter: Gateshead Council collaborated with the local Poverty Truth Commission to develop a charter of principles to which warm spaces in Gateshead must sign up to, guaranteeing people using them will be treated with respect, dignity, and warmth. Many other organisations around the country have also used Gateshead’s charter in their spaces, including Kensal Warm Spaces.
Communicating with the Community: Engaging the community was also discussed, with Kensal Warm Spaces explaining how Brent is the second most diverse borough in the UK, and therefore they have had their website translated into 15 languages to make it more accessible. Green Lane Masjid spoke of how their well-established presence in the community extends beyond those of a Muslim faith to welcome the whole community. They also encouraged others to connect with their local faith-based centres who do much more than offer places of worship.
Warm Welcome: Several of the speakers felt that warm spaces were likely to continue throughout the year, though morphing into something else such as a cool space in hot weather or a social community space. The term ‘warm welcome’ appealed to many as it is both relevant to warm spaces now, but also a welcoming space year-round.