Local communities and Birmingham City Council have opened ‘warm hubs’ in response to fuel poverty caused by the cost-of-living crisis.
Under the initiative, the Warm Welcome network, faith and civil society groups and businesses are opening spaces across Birmingham to protect the most vulnerable people and offer help during the cost of living crisis.
The warm banks will provide heat and host activities such as movie screenings and hot food and drinks.
There are 1193 warm spaces in the UK, according to Warm Welcome.
Birmingham City Council offers eight of those, including leisure and community centres, open daily.
Cllr John Cotton, Cabinet Member for Social Justice, Community Safety & Equalities, said:
“Following our declaration of a Cost of Living emergency in Birmingham, I am glad to see this network taking shape, which will help everyone struggling in the current climate.
“The Warm Welcome network is more than about keeping warm, it’s about providing space for communities to come together, to support one another as well as providing access to advise and information that will help them cope during the winter months and beyond”.
Birmingham constituency has the highest levels of fuel poverty in England
Six of the 15 constituencies in England most affected by fuel poverty are in Birmingham, including the worst affected constituency, Hodge Hill, according to data from the End Fuel Poverty Coalition.
Other Birmingham constituencies in the top ten are:
- Yardley, where 47% of the population are in fuel poverty
- Ladywood (46%)
- Erdington (46%)
- Perry Barr (45%)
- and Hall Green (45%)
The council announced two months ago an extra £5m to tackle the cost-of-living crisis
