We started a Warm Room in a very much underused hall. This is helping people save on their energy and food costs. We supply free hot drinks, snacks, filled rolls and homemade soup. People can enjoy various activities and company which helps with mental well-being and combating isolation. We have all age groups, from babies to pensioners, using the Warm Room.
Amount Requested: £1000
A Food Handling Course for all our volunteers - £250
Arts and crafts equipment - £100
Storage cupboards - £200
Water urn - £100
Food - £250
Clothing - £100
Location: Whiting Bay and Kildonan Church Warm Room
Proposed on behalf of: We started our Warm Room at the beginning of November as we knew that there were people who were very concerned about the rising costs of heating and food. We are an island community and have no mains gas so heating is by oil or electricity which means even higher bills than on the mainland. Food is also more expensive on the Island and we recognised that there would be people who would have to chose to heat or eat. We decided to open on Mondays and Fridays from 10am until 3pm and provide free teas, coffees and snacks all day and homemade soup and filled rolls at lunchtime. We sourced comfortable settees, chairs, cushions, side tables, mugs, fridge, freezer and microwave all free. We got some wool and knitting needles and visitors are knitting syringe driver bags for the Beatson Hospital and baby clothes for a charity. We have jigsaws and some board games, books and magazines. We would like to be able to offer more crafts. We also provide free Wi-Fi. We would like to expand to another day to help more people. Since opening we have seen the Warm Room being used by more and more people. It is not only people from Whiting Bay who come but also people from surrounding villages as it is the only warm space on the Island and people are telling others about it. We have two homeless men in Whiting Bay and they attend both days and say it’s their lifeline. We have helped them with housing and job applications and are trying to help with their benefits. We started a warm clothing/bedding bank and both men have benefited from that. Our project helps with mental wellness as well as physical wellness. It alleviates isolation as people are encouraged by being with others. We accept well behaved dogs in the Warm Room and find that this helps others too. Visitors to the Warm Room have asked us to stay open all year and we would like to do that if we can. We envision the need to provide a service to the community for more than a year.
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