Warm spaces will be opened until March 2023 where people can get warm regardless of the prices of heating. They are offered all around Cambridgeshire. We counted about thirty local community spaces listed here, but check the link to look for one near you.

Besides our physical health and warmth, these places are good for our mental wellbeing because they give us a chance to connect with others, share a common interest, be heard, or talk and listen to someone else who we might not otherwise meet. You can find Warm Hubs in your county on this facebook page as well. Cambourne, Caldecote, Mepal, Rampton, Fordham are some of the villages and towns and areas that are doing #WarmHubsCambs free in the county.

Let’s take a moment to imagine what the warm spaces are like:

Imagine Janine making a friend with Barbara while they have a warm drink and tasty piece of cake in Cambourne. Ross may sit quietly in Caldecote; he prefers to be left alone and doesn’t like small talk. But he’s putting the last few pieces in a jigsaw puzzle showing a nice warm beach scene with a sandcastle surf and a lighthouse in the distance. Robert prefers to help, so he’s making the warm toasties and paninis and when everyone’s been fed he gives knitting a try – laughing and teasing that he’s going to knit better than all the ladies (once he learns). There’s Pete, Richelle and Sarah handing out the board games, playing cards and swapping books and magazines while signposting those who find the Stay Well This Winter resources useful.

The cold effects everyone, but the homeless are among the most vulnerable, and Cambridge City Council is working to support every resident to move on into longer-term accommodation. Information is here with phone numbers and details for cold weather support for homeless people.