Cost of living: Swansea mum says hub helps keep baby warm

Mum-of-five Kaylee Maunder says warm hubs are important in keeping her three-month-old baby Daxton warm

A mum-of-five has said a public warm hub helps her keep her baby warm amid soaring energy bills.

Kaylee Maunder, from Swansea, also described the Port Tennant hub as an important place for meeting friends.

The hubs were set up and funded by the Welsh government and councils last winter in response to the rising cost of living.

One think tank said it was worried about their growing popularity.

The Bevan Foundation said people should be able to afford to heat their own homes and not have to rely on warm hubs.

The Welsh government said it would do all it could to support people through the cost of living crisis.

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The warm hub in Port Tennant is one of more than 80 centres across Swansea which had funding grants from the city council.

"[Bills] are so high, it makes me worry," said 35-year-old Kaylee.

"I've got a newborn so my heating's obviously got to be on, which makes this place very important.

"I know of many people who go without food so that their children can have things, so coming here might be the one meal they get."

Linsey Collins said the warm hub also provided free food for people

Linsey Collins, 41 added: "You can come here and be warm - you haven't got to worry about putting your heating on in the house."

In Pontarddulais, volunteers in the Bont Elim Community Church hub serve warm drinks and food for parents and toddlers.

Charlotte Bidwell-Williams, 32, said it was invaluable for her and her 14-month-old daughter.

"It's donations only, but there's lots of food and healthy options too," she said.

"It's just great to have a support system too and meet other mothers."

Councillor Alyson Anthony said the council's warm spaces scheme had gone from "strength to strength".

"It's also about bringing the community together, so I think they'll continue because that's what people want," she added.

Researcher Ella Rabaiotti from Swansea University said some warm hubs had continued without getting funding

The social benefits to warm hubs, of which there are about 700 across Wales, have been highlighted in recent research by Swansea University.

Researcher Ella Rabaiotti said hubs continuing throughout the summer when there was not the need to stay warm "was the surprising benefit - that it was more about the emotional warmth".

But the Bevan Foundation has reservations, despite welcoming the support out there for people.

Dr Steffan Evans added: "Our priority really should be enabling people to be warm in their own homes.

"If we see the value of having these social spaces then we should be investing in them because of their social value, rather than a poverty-alleviating method."

The Welsh government said: "We continue to do all we can to support people through the cost of living crisis to alleviate financial pressures and maximise incomes.

"This includes the Welsh Benefits Charter, which aims to remove the barriers facing people claiming their benefit entitlements.

"There's also our Warm Homes programme which provides energy efficiency measures for vulnerable households living in the least energy efficient homes."

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