Warm hubs also offer social life -council

Warm hubs at libraries have brought many people new friendships, the council says

A man who visited a warm hub which was set up to help people struggling with the cost of heating has said it has also enriched his social life.

Leslie Eastham, 63, who attended Kingsfold library in Penwortham to escape the cold said he had also met "firm friends".

Lancashire County Council has launched its Warm and Welcome Spaces programme for a second year.

Mr Eastham said he had become "bored" after retirement lifestyle and the hub had become “the highlight of my week”.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service last year he had visited a games group at the library.

“I really enjoyed it and soon got into the swing of things, making friends with everybody, including the library staff,” he said.

He said the group he had met while trying to warm up had become his friends and now they all meet up weekly.

“We all think the same and can really relax with each other, even though there is a bit of an age difference between us,” he added.

Leslie Eastham (left) said the group has connected him to people with similar interests

Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, Michael Green, said that this experience was not uncommon and showed the “positive benefits” of the warm spaces initiative.

Mr Green said: “[The impact] has been far wider than what we originally set the scheme up for.

"Friends networks are building up and people are then meeting up... or spending Christmas together.”

He added that it “goes without saying” that people are still struggling with the cost of living this year and the warm hubs would be available at libraries and at community and voluntary groups.