A “Warm Space at Spacious Place” is our local community engagement Café serving the needs of vulnerable people in Corringham and across Thurrock in Essex. From October 24 through to the end of March 25 we will be opening as an official “warm space” (as registered with waremwelcome.uk) 6 days a week to offer a warm, friendly and relaxed environment for those struggling with the cost of living crisis.
Volunteers to be there for people even if they just only want to have a chat with someone and we know that loneliness and isolation is a real issue particularly across the older generation. As a Warm Space, we want to be able to offer not only free hot food and refreshments, but also other items than can make a difference e.g. bedding, hot water bottles, air fryers etc.
Spacious Place works hand in hand with our Trussell Trust Foodbank, and through its day to day operation is part of a local network of other practical help and support that can be directed to people.
The Café has it own professional personal debt coach, who is qualified to help people with their finances and take them on a journey that will eventually ensure that they will become debt free.
In extreme circumstances we have and want to continue providing free emergency accommodation for the homeless in our area.
We are raising funds to help support the operational running costs of the Café, and the underwriting of providing free food, refreshments, warm bedding etc. Across a similar period last year our warm space directly helped just under 500 local people and we anticipate that the number will only increase across the forthcoming winter.
Our Warm Space is staffed mainly by volunteers, and although not paid a wage, there are cost such as training and PPE that we need to cover. As a firm believer of given young people a chance in life, we provide free year long apprenticeships to train and give people excellent work experience in the hospitality and customer service field. There are associated costs to us with that and we are seeking to raise funds in this area.
Recently a lonely looking elderly gentleman visited our Warm space for the first time. He had been signposted to us from one of our local Charity shops. We he came in, he simply asked "Is this the place where your help people" That question summed up perfectly what our ongoing heart is for the vulnerable in our community.