North Tyneside Council announce warm spaces to open across the borough

As winter approaches and temperatures continue to drop, North Tyneside Council has announced over 40 warm spaces, which are set to open in the area this week. 

The council are inviting residents to access the warm, comfortable spaces this Winter which will not only provide free hot drinks, WiFi and computers but also activities and groups such as bingo, crafts, cookery lessons and toddler groups.

Since launching in 2022, the need for warm spaces has been shown and in North Tyneside alone, warm spaces were visited by more than 43,000 people.

North Tyneside Council has funded 20 voluntary and community sector organisations, who will open their doors to residents, offering soup, low-cost meals as well as board games, group walks and film showings.

The warm spaces are open to all, with no criteria to attend and support available to everyone. 

North Tyneside Council will also be hosting warm welcome sessions in their library and customer first centres, which again is open to all, and visitors do not need to be a library member to come along. 

Eight schools in North Tyneside have also received funding to host warm sessions for their school communities.

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Dame Norma Redfearn DBE, Elected Mayor of North Tyneside, said: “It continues to be a difficult time for many of our residents and as we head into another winter, I’m pleased that we are able to relaunch our Warm Welcome scheme to ensure everyone who needs it has access to a warm, comfortable space.

“The scheme has become so much more than just a warm place, they’re a place where residents can go to catch up with friends, meet new people, access support, learn new skills or even just relax for a while.

“It’s great to see these venues open across the borough right in the heart of our communities and offering the vital support that many people need.

“Warm Welcomes are just one part of our commitment to helping residents through this ongoing crisis, we have dedicated support in place and our teams are working to support anyone in need.”

The warm welcome sessions will run from November 2023 to April 2024, with £75,000 worth of funding allocated to the council for the scheme.

For a full list of venues, opening times and activities, please visit the North Tyneside Council website.