If You Are Cold – And Feeling The Pinch – Use A Warm Hub

Published on: 11 Nov, 2022
Updated on: 12 Nov, 2022

A network of “warm hubs” to support residents who will be affected by the cost-of-living and energy crisis are being set up throughout the borough of Guildford and across Surrey.

Surrey County Council, district, borough, town and parish councils have been working together with Surrey’s faith and community groups to identify suitable locations and get them up and running, and volunteers are being recruited to help out at them (see further on).

The warm hubs are free to use. Some are now open and the programme will continue until the end of February.

Surrey County Council says: “Many millions of UK residents will be affected by soaring energy bills, and Surrey is no different, with tens of thousands of our neighbours, friends, and families being forced to make difficult decisions on whether to heat their homes or eat three meals a day.

“Many homes are poorly insulated, and this combined with the extreme types of weather we’ve been seeing, as a result of climate change, means this winter could be even harder.

“The combination of adverse weather, poorly heated homes and people unable to keep their heating on poses a real threat to people’s health.

Warm hubs in Surrey. Click on map to go to interactive map on Surrey County Council’s website.

“That’s why a network of warm hubs has been set up across Surrey to provide support to residents in these challenging times.

“They are spaces, where people can drop in, get warm, have a hot drink and be in the company of other people. Very simply a place to get warm. There will also be people on hand to give free energy advice.

Warm hub map of Guildford borough locations. Click on map to go to interactive map on Surrey County Council’s website.

Nearly 70 of these warm spaces have been set up so far, in a variety of buildings including community centres, church halls, libraries, leisure centres and even museums.

Click here for list of Guildford’s Warm Hubs

Volunteers are being recruited to work alongside regular members of staff and existing volunteers.

The volunteers will help make visitors feel welcome, and provide a friendly ear for those feeling isolated.

They will be providing hot drinks to visitors, and perhaps soup or warm meals in some location, as well as organising and distributing ‘grab bags’, containing winter essentials such as flasks and hot-water bottles.

They will help help by guiding visitors to Surrey County Council’s energy advice information service, which provides information tailored to residents’ own circumstances, and will help visitors to engaging with it, if need be.

Those people interested in helping out, can click on the link below, fill in a brief application form and a member of staff from Surrey County Council will get back to you with more information.

MyImpactPage – Volunteers needed to help run Warm Hubs across Surrey (betterimpact.com)

Voluntary Action South West Surrey has partnered with Surrey County Council to help recruit volunteers. The county council is using Voluntary Action’s online recruiting program.

David Rose from Voluntary Action said: “As of today, Friday, November 11, all within the past few days, 123 people have applied to be a warm hub volunteer in Surrey, which is great news!”

Cllr Marisa Heath, Surrey County Council’s cabinet member for environment, said “This provision is open to everyone. It’s a free service that is quite simply a space for people to come and get warm and mix with others from their community.

“It also provides the opportunity for people to get some free energy advice which can help them to make sure they are using their energy most efficiently and know where to go to for any support that is out there which can help them to make any improvements.”

For more information on where these warm hubs are in Surrey you can visit: surreycc.gov.uk/warmhubs

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