Warm space tackles social isolation in Nottingham

A warm space designed to support people to save money on their energy bills is having a huge impact on the community it’s serving.

St Ann’s Advice’s warm space in Nottingham is one of 7,000 such places set up by voluntary sector and faith groups, libraries and local authorities across Britain.

The charity, which provides free, impartial advice on benefits, debt, employment, housing and energy issues in the Nottingham area, set theirs up around three years ago.

Debbie Webster, Manager at St Ann’s Advice, said: “Our advice centre is open every day where people can have breakfast or lunch, but we started to open up on Wednesday evenings a few years ago and it’s gone down really well.

“We started it so people have a place to come in and have a bit of food and a hot drink, but it’s become more than that. Using some external funding, we bought some games for people to play, and it became a place for people to socialise.

“We even run a regular energy bingo game with prizes like air fryers and slow cookers. And each number that is called out carries information about energy efficiency.”

This £6,000 in flexible funding the charity was given also meant they could buy other energy efficiency items like hats, gloves, electric blankets, kettles and Oodies.

One person who recently attended was an elderly woman who told the advisors that her and her husband had not put the heating on in months. Upon quickly being supplied with an electric blanket by the charity, the woman burst into tears.

Independent research into the success of the warm space undertaken by Nottingham Trent University showed that it was playing a ‘critical part in responding to the multiple needs of attendees’ and that it ‘strengthened support networks and social integration’.

Debbie added: “The warm hub is there for people to use to keep warm and have some healthy food without them having to put the heating on in their own home, but the biggest thing for people was clearly the fact it brought the community together.

“At first it was older people coming along, but last year it definitely changed. We started seeing a lot more families come through the door after school had finished. Following the national trend, most of the people we support are living in negative budgets and need help balancing those budgets – so the warm hubs are definitely helping.”

To find a money and energy advice centre local to you, please click here.