Churches across Cardiff are providing support to help tackle fuel poverty this winter. Estimates from the Welsh Government say that nearly 200,000 households are facing fuel poverty in across the country.
Religious organisations helping families this winter include the Diocese of Llandaff, who have created a toolkit to help churches and community groups launch their own warm spaces. The support page provides a range of information, including how to register and how to access funding.
More than 20 churches in the diocese are acting as regular warm hubs four times a week and at least 80% are providing some level of warm space such as coffee mornings.
Matthew Batten, Director of Communication and Outreach at Diocese of Llandaff Church in Wales, says that Cardiff Council and the Government should be doing more to help churches.
“We are looking for better quality and more accessible funding so our churches can put on these events… It’s a real struggle for our churches to afford it… Our priests are exhausted.”
Mr Batten also highlighted that many of the diocese’s warm spaces operate in the evening so that “families aren’t sitting at home freezing”, noting that many are unable to afford WIFI which prevents children from watching TV or doing their homework.
The majority of the Council-run Hubs are open until just 6pm, though some close earlier.
Other church initiatives include the East Cardiff Ministry Area mapping out places providing warm bank activities in the local area, with nine place currently listed. The Vicar for Children, Family and Community Rev. Rosemary Hill says that it is their “hope to organise some free warm spaces in our churches in East Cardiff MA in the coming weeks.”
You can find the most up-to-date list of warm banks in the city at either Warm Welcome or Warm Spaces.