Further funding available to provide warm spaces for Lancashire residents
A church in Chorley that has received funding from Lancashire County Council says the money helps them continue to offer food to vulnerable members of the community
"People have said it's been life-saving in some instances," said Jill Smith, Project Administrator at St Laurence's Church, who completed the application form for warm spaces funding.
The team at the church on Union Street have already received £500 for their warm space and have now applied for further funding.
The money helps support two initiatives that offer food and a place to stay warm.
Open Table operates on Monday nights and provides a free homecooked hot meal to members of the community.
While Taste Café, a café run by volunteers, is open Tuesday to Friday.
Jill added:
"The money that we've received as part of the warm spaces initiative has really helped. Although the café is run by volunteers we still need to pay for supplies as well as heating and lighting the building.
"We've now applied for extra funding, and when I mentioned that to our treasurer, they said every little bit helps. Every bit of funding that we receive really does help."
A third round of grant funding is now available for all voluntary, community and faith organisations who are providing a warm space within their communities in Lancashire, and those that are looking to set one up.
With the help of additional funding, the amount available to local groups has also been increased in this third round.
Warm spaces are also available in all of Lancashire's libraries where you will receive a warm welcome and a hot drink.
Sandra is a regular visitor to St Laurence's Church Wellness Hub
Sandra visits both projects at St Laurence's regularly and says she would be isolated without them.
She said:
"It's really hard as I don't have a lot of family, a lot of them have passed away, so I have support now.
"They are nice people, all the staff are friendly, they'll talk to you if you need anything or have any problems.
"If it wasn't here then I'd just stay at home and be on my own."
Jill and Chris at Taste Café inside St Laurence's Church
Chris is one of the volunteers who run Taste Café.
She said:
"A lot of the people are vulnerable so I think they would struggle financially and socially without this. They can come here, feel welcome and not feel excluded. It's really important to have spaces like this.
"I have a great team who all like working together and it's great being part of something in the community where people can come and have some food and get warm."
So far, more than £70,000 has been committed to support Lancashire's network of warm spaces through the dedicated grant scheme.
Applications for the third round will be accepted until Sunday 19 January.
Venues in Lancashire that are already offering a warm, safe, and welcoming space to residents are able to apply and there's more information here: Lancashire warm spaces grant scheme - Lancashire County Council
County Councillor Michael Green, cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing, said:
"Our warm spaces are hugely important as I have seen for myself when I have visited some of them. Many Lancashire residents use them and value them as a place to stay warm and get a hot drink, and in some cases food too.
"I would encourage organisations that haven't applied already to become a warm space to make sure they submit an application for funding before the deadline of 19th January.
"As the team at St Laurence's Church have outlined, our warm spaces are a vital part of the community and many friendships have been formed inside them."
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