Cost of living: Where can you keep warm in Wales this winter?

Ely hub manager Ana Cremene has seen visitor numbers rise in recent weeks

Wales has just come through a spell of intensely cold weather, while many struggle to heat their homes because of the rising cost of living.

So has the opening of "warm banks" across the country helped?

More than 300 hubs have been set up since October - in places like libraries, community centres, cafes and churches - providing a free warm place for people to go.

Free drinks are offered, as well as activities, advice or simply a chat.

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Ana Cremene, manager at the Ely hub in Cardiff, said the numbers visiting there for warmth varied day-by-day, but the library had seen a rise in all visitor numbers generally since November from 9,000 monthly visits to 11,000.

"Some days it could be quiet, some days it could be really busy. We do have a couple of regular people that I see here who say, oh, I'm going to have my morning coffee at the hub," she said.

"Within this background, there are vulnerable adults. We try to be as welcoming as we can, and say do you want a tea or a coffee, so they love that.

"We've had feedback, not only from the customers who are actually using it but from people who are seeing the initiative. They think it is a really great scheme."

The recent cold snap saw freezing temperatures across much of Wales, as pictured in Crumlin, Caerphilly

The hub has started running scheduled sessions led by a volunteer from the Cardiff Hubs' Wellbeing service on some days to give people a focus, offering board games, mindfulness colouring and other activities to boost mental health.

The Welsh government's Warm Hub initiative has provided £1m in funding to help local organisations set up spaces for local people to access.

So where can people go to stay warm over the winter months?

North Wales

Menter Môn social enterprise has coordinated with organisations across the six north Wales counties to provide a Croeso Cynnes/Warm Spaces network that people, especially those who are vulnerable, can access. A map giving locations and further information for each venue is available here.

Anglesey has a couple of venues listed on a separate UK-wide Warm Spaces website, with Gwelfor community centre in Holyhead and Ffiws Amlwch in Amlwch both offering access.

Gwynedd libraries are operating as warm hubs, with activities, warm drinks or just the chance to chat on offer.

The library service in Conwy is also welcoming people in from the cold, with free snacks and drinks at certain times of the day. Further venues are also offering support in Llandudno, Penmaenmawr and Glan Conwy on certain days.

In Denbighshire, the libraries are part of the Croeso Cynnes scheme.

Flintshire council has put together an interactive map of its Warm Welcome scheme, which includes facilities like its libraries and other organisations who have opted in to the project.

Wrexham's libraries are part of the council's Warm Places initiative. Other places welcoming people are the Community Cafe in Rhosllannerchrugog and Hope Street Church in Wrexham.

Mid Wales

South west Wales

Pembrokeshire Community Hub is hosting an interactive "warm welcome" map of all the spaces across the county on its website.

Carmarthenshire has also a warm hubs map of locations available on the council's website to direct people to services.

Swansea has gathered all those organisations offering warm places to visit under its Swansea Spaces initiative, which is viewable as a map on the council's website.

Neighbouring Neath Port Talbot has categorised the different types of venues offering help on its NPT Warm Spaces page, so people can refine their search.

South east Wales

Bridgend council has put together a comprehensive list of places offering warm places access, broken down by town or district within the county.

The Vale of Glamorgan council website has an interactive map and a list of warm space venues with details of what each offers.

In Cardiff, Refugee Cardiff has put together a list of some of the warm spaces available in the capital, including a link to the hubs and libraries which are taking part, while East Cardiff Ministry Area is providing an interactive map highlighting spaces available in the Llanedeyrn, Rumney, Llanrumney and St Mellons area of the city.

Rhondda Cynon Taf has a winter welcome scheme at all its library hubs and the council has also pulled together a list of all other organisations taking part in the scheme in its three districts.

Merthyr Tydfil's WellbeingMerthyr service is running warm hubs at the libraries it runs for the council. There is also information available about further warm spaces in the council's cost of living newsletter.

Blaenau Gwent council has put together a wellbeing hub which signposts users to organisations offering services in their local areas of Tredegar, Ebbw Vale, Abertillery and Brynmawr. Further details of centres in the county open for drop-in use are available on the national Warm Spaces website.

Caerphilly council is using its library and community spaces as warm hubs.

Torfaen residents can find information about warm spaces and other services on the Connect Torfaen website.

Newport council has compiled a list of organisations in the county offering warm space sessions. It includes a link to the county's libraries which are part of the scheme.

And on Monmouthshire council's website, residents can download a copy of a regularly updated document listing venues and times of available warm spaces and activities throughout the county.