Grants available to groups offering support during cost of living crisis
Published: 28 October 2022
Community groups and organisations providing warm spaces for residents this winter are being supported with grants by the City Council.
Warm Spaces Grants of up to £500 are now available for organisations to apply for on the Council’s website.
The grant will help with the additional costs community groups will face this winter.
Warm spaces provide residents with somewhere to keep warm, enjoy company and access support if they are struggling to cope with the cost of living.
Among the organisations already helping residents is Exeter Quakers, which is working in partnership with other groups in Exeter and the Warm Welcome network nationally to respond to the cost of living crisis.
Every Thursday between 10am and 4pm, it is offering free soup and hot drinks at the Friends Meeting House in Wynards Lane, Magdalen Street. It offers access to free Wi-Fi and a warm space to anyone who needs it.
Cllr Martin Pearce, Lead Councillor of Communities & Homelessness Prevention, said: “The Council is really keen to make sure that as many residents as possible are supported as we go into this cost of living emergency over the winter. Things are set to get harder, sadly, for so many people in the city.
“I think it’s absolutely amazing that these pop up spaces are being delivered all across the city. They’re going to be needed and I’m sure they’ll be well used.”
“The Council’s grants program is now available to support those offering warm spaces. This isn’t something that the City Council has a statutory duty to do, but it’s just such an emergency, we can’t stand by and do nothing.
“So we are supporting organisations who are already producing pop up events like this. We’re supporting them directly through grants that we’re now making available.”
Ian Martin, of Exeter Quaker Meeting, said: “The Quaker Social Café is a new initiative we’ve made. We started it at the beginning of October. We certainly plan to go up to Christmas, and we hope if it’s working well, and it’s working well so far, we’ll continue right through to the end of March.
“People can come and have a warm and safe place to be, have some soup, teas and coffees, and spend some time together. It’s our way of supporting our local community.
“So we would say to people please do come along. It’s warm and it’s welcoming. And we will certainly welcome as many people as possible who think they would like to have some company and a warm, safe space to be through this coming winter.”
Last week city councillors declared a Cost of Living Emergency and called on the Government to introduce an Emergency Budget and take urgent action to protect the people of Exeter from further harm.
For details of community support, and for more information about the support schemes administered by the city council visit our website.
Organisations can apply now for a Warm Spaces Grant by making an application on the Council’s website.