All the warm spaces in Rochdale to help people cope with the cost-of-living crisis

Councillor Neil Emmott with councillor colleagues, Middleton residents and Bowlee Pavilion volunteers at the launch of the warm spaces scheme

Forty two ‘warm spaces’ have been created in the Rochdale borough to help people cope with the cost-of-living crisis.

Warm spaces are public venues opened by local councils, community organisations and faith groups that anyone can visit to keep warm if they are struggling to heat their homes, with cost-of-living help and advice available.
 

Read more: Warm spaces to provide residents with a helping hand this winterPublished: 12 November 2022

Venues in the borough, which includes libraries, churches and community buildings, are providing spaces for people to keep warm – free of charge.

Each warm space will provide the following free minimum services:

• Hot and cold drinks
• Water
• Activities
• Health and wellbeing advice
• Signposting to services

The full list of warm spaces in Rochdale can be found here.

Across the UK, at least 12,834 ‘warm spaces’ have opened. According to latest figures, there are 1,431 warm spaces in the North West alone, with 42 here in Rochdale.

Rochdale MP, Tony Lloyd, said: “People in Rochdale and across the country are under the cosh because of increased living costs, food and energy bills.

“A range of help and advice is available from Rochdale Council and other organisations and those who are stepping up to support people in the absence of proper government support must be commended but it shouldn’t have to be like this.”

The surge in warm spaces comes amidst a fuel poverty crisis:

• The Energy Price Cap for the average household is set to rise by £500 in April 2023 to £3,000
• 8.6 million households are estimated to fall into fuel poverty from April 2023, and 3 million low-income households currently cannot afford to heat their homes