Warm rooms on the Yorkshire Coast turn into social spaces for the lonely
Many are being re-purposed after being wound down last month
Warm spaces on the Yorkshire Coast are turning into social spaces for people who are feeling lonely and isolated.
Many wound down last month after originally being set up over the winter to help reduce household energy costs.
Now the rooms are being re-purposed to have activities and events.
Delia Prudence runs The Art Room on Falsgrave in Scarborough and said: "It's still being operated on just as a free art space on Fridays for people, so if people want to come along we have had quite a lot of donations. We have a lot of equipment that if they want to come and try, help themselves and meet new friends instead of being in the house on their own. Have a go. We have art materials or you can knit.
"We just want people to have a go at something and they might surprise themselves. The thing is as long as they enjoy it and they get some fun out of it, even if it's just meeting new people, if we can offer something to help somebody then that's what we're here for. Just pop along any time and come and see us."
Helen King is the Head of Support Services for Newby and Scalby Town Council's hub. She said: "We still class it as a warm space at the moment and that's really developed into social groups, because quite a lot of the warm space wasn't just about somebody needing a space to go and keep warm and keeping their enegy down at home, but was to be with other people through the lonely times.
"We found that more and more people were dropping in for coffee and then maybe open up a game of bingo or a quiz which grew and grew. We're going to continue that now all year but it won't be classed as a warm space unless the sun's shining obviously. It will become a social group.
"Anybody dropping into the hub will get a listening ear and we're trying to develop more and more services that are there for people. We've got various groups and organistions coming into the hub and that's what we're all about. We always intended it to be a centrepiece for the area of Newby and Scalby."