Portsmouth Warm Spaces: Call goes out to open more buildings to the public to stop people getting cold this winter
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Prompted by a Labour motion earlier this year, the city council is in the process of putting together a list and map of heated buildings that will be open to the public.
Councillor Judith Smyth, who proposed the motion, said this would prevent long-term health problems being developed by people unable to afford to heat their homes. The motion said that heating was ‘an essential, not a luxury’.
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Hide Ad‘By developing a map of warm places across our city over the coming months, residents will have safe places to use when temperatures drop,' she said, describing the work as 'vital'.
Similar initiatives are being introduced by local authorities across the country in response to concerns, particularly around recent increases to the energy price cap with the most recent, two-year fix hiking the maximum cost of electricity to 34p per kWh of electricity and 10.3p per kWh of gas.
Campaigner and Labour member Sue Mullen, who put together the Warm Spaces proposal put forward by councillors said the initiative would make a ‘small difference’ locally with more government supported needed.
'Across the city people already struggling with soaring food costs are dreading the approach of winter and the terrible choice they will face between heating their home or feeding their family,’ she said. 'What we need is a meaningful national policy to help people out over this terrible time.'
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Hide AdCllr Smyth requested the list be completed by the end of August, to be followed by the map at the end of October, and the council has been encouraging businesses, places of worship and charities to take part.
A council spokesman said it was working with Hive Portsmouth and other statutory and voluntary service providers across the city to put together a comprehensive list and that details would be announced 'soon'.
Some have already heeded the call however, including Havelock Community Centre in Southsea which, starting from October 31, will run twice-weekly Cold Hands; Warm Hearts drop-in sessions for people over 55.
For four hours each Monday and Friday (between 12pm and 4pm) the centre is inviting people who are worried about the cost of heating their home or who are concerned about the cost of going out to meet friends to spend as long as they want in its rooms.
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Hide Ad'We know some people will be making that choice about whether they turn the heating on or sit in the shivering cold,' centre trustee and event organiser Terry Hall said. 'Homes in Southsea are already difficult enough to heat and the cost is now making it unaffordable for many.'
The former councillor and Lord Mayor said the centre wanted to 'create a space where they won't have to worry about heating' with
‘We are a community centre,’ she added. ‘It’s our job to support our community through difficult times.’