Wednesday Winter Warmer (WWW) is back this Christmas as the first one is successfully held in Gunnislake, Cornwall for the community.
The project is in place to combat the cold and loneliness people may feel over the winter months and for the community to have somewhere warm during what could be a difficult time for many.
Residents enjoyed free hot drinks, freshly made vegetable soup and mini baked potatoes, with LiveWest funding the groceries and free vegetables provided by Cornwall Gleaning Network.
Mai Evans, our Community Connector, said: “The lunchtime’s launch couldn’t have been better attended nor a better atmosphere but what really lured people into this cosy community room was the irresistible aroma of freshly baked scones.
“A few people commented that what they particularly enjoyed was how warm and friendly the pop-up community café was. Ideas were floated for activities for the forthcoming weeks, and we’ve already done an activity last week which involved people bringing craft materials for Christmas card making which was fun.
“It does look like we may be able to establish this as a self-sustaining weekly group which is fantastic. It’s been an absolute pleasure to organise, and I look forward to running it weekly up until April next year.”
A LiveWest resident is volunteering and helping regularly in the kitchen to make sure the winter warmer sessions are run smoothly, and it’s also getting support from the local Community Fridge.
The room hire and coordinator for the winter warmers are covered by funding through a Volunteer Cornwall scheme that provides winter support through community hubs. Cornwall's charities and community groups have combined forces to make it easier to find support with a network of Community Hubs across the county offering winter support.