Bristol warm places scheme welcomes first residents

Bianca and nine-month old Isaac are making the most of the warm homes scheme

New mothers and the elderly are among the first to take advantage of a warm spaces scheme to help people struggling to afford to heat their own homes.

Cafes, churches and libraries across Bristol are opening their doors as energy prices rise this winter.

The city council asked businesses and public buildings to join the scheme in the summer.

As well as warmth, many of the spaces are offering services like financial advice and homework support.

A cafe in the Wellspring Settlement community centre in Barton Hill is taking part in the initiative twice a week and is also providing food.

People are only asked to pay what they can afford, with the rest subsidised by the council.

"It takes the pressure off"

Bianca and her nine month old son Isaac spent five hours there on Tuesday.

She told BBC Bristol: "It takes the pressure off knowing there's somewhere to come where there's heating."

New mums enjoy a warm space at the Wellspring Settlement community centre

New mum Becky Green said she had so far avoided putting the heating on due to the cost of living crisis.

"I am very aware of what's going on, you open the news every morning on your phone and you think 'there's something else that's happened'," she said.

Joan Hendry, a widow, said the warm spaces scheme was really helping with costs.

Not only does it save on heating and food bills but also secondary costs such as the hot water needed for washing up, she said.

Yvonne Corrigan, who is also widowed, said: "It gets me out of the house for a start, because I lost my husband just before the pandemic and it's company - you can meet people and have a chat."

Holy Trinity Church in Horfield is now open every morning.

Holy Trinity Church in Horfield is opening as a warm space every morning

The Revd Canon David McGladdery said: "We knew this was going to hit people hard, so rather than just shut our doors and save money, which is what we could do, that is not what church is about - the church is about giving away at their point of need."

This report was based on interviews carried out by Fiona Lamdin for BBC Points West