The impact of cold weather is particularly felt by older people, the very young and those who are vulnerable for other reasons, such as health, quality of housing, or those who are homeless, but can impact anyone. Frome Town Council maintains information about the services and support available to help. This includes the location of Frome’s network of ‘Warm Spaces’ and places to get a hot meal, advice for making your home warmer, how to apply for emergency funding, grit bin locations and how to respond if you’re concerned about somebody else.
Alison Murdoch, Director of The Good Heart on Palmer Street, said, “Some people visit The Good Heart to enjoy a home-cooked pay it forward meal, some sit quietly with a free hot drink, and some visit us as a whole family to stay and play for a while. Winter can be a really isolating time, especially for those on a low income and the more vulnerable or isolated members of our community, so warm spaces like ours can offer vital opportunities for connection.”
Cllr Fiona Barrows said: “Cold weather can exacerbate – or cause – problems with housing, health and wellbeing. Visit the FTC website for information about services in Frome that could help during the colder months. As well as immediate resources like Winter Warmth packs or the network of Warm Spaces you can visit if your home is cold, there are longer-term options, such as advice from the Healthy Homes team on making your home warmer or funding to help with energy bills and improvements to heating systems and insulation. You’ll also find information about what to do if you’re concerned for someone else, including people who are sleeping rough”
For information and links about support available during cold weather, visit bit.ly/cold-weather-support
