Warrington: how a new ‘Centre for Warmth’ partnership is helping thousands of people through challenging times 

• In its first year, more than 22,000 people accessed services provided by a new partnership.
• "This is life-changing ... and at a time when people need help more than ever."
• Wide-ranging Centre for Warmth project is supporting help with fuel bills, energy efficiency in the home, and income maximisation, as well as loneliness and isolation.

Tens of thousands of people in Warrington have been supported by a £780,000 project designed to help the most vulnerable stay safe, warm, and healthy in their homes.

More than 22,000 people are known to have accessed services in the first year of gas distributor Cadent’s ‘Centres for Warmth’ partnership with Warrington Borough Council.

The project is funding a range of measures, from energy efficiency and income maximisation guidance, to measures which seek to tackle loneliness and isolation.

“This is, very literally, life-changing,” said Cllr Tony Higgins, Cabinet Member for communities, culture and leisure at Warrington Council, “and at a time when people need this support more than ever.”

He added: “What we’re able to do with this programme is reach people who may otherwise go unnoticed, perhaps because they feel a stigma associated with asking for help. While no-one should feel that way, it is how they feel – which is very sad.

“Our services and support are often discrete – the person may already be visiting a community centre for other reasons, and, with a sensitive approach, we become trusted and a ‘go to’ for advice.”

Rather than support work in one single community centre, which is how Cadent’s Centre for Warmth concept generally operates, this partnership covers all of the community centres which are managed by the council’s communities and wellbeing service. It also involves many partner agencies in Warrington.

As such, the package is the biggest of Cadent’s Centre for Warmth projects in North West England.

During a recent visit to Fearnhead Community Centre, Paula Steer, Director of Cadent’s North West Network, said: “What is great about this partnership is that it will help a wide variety of people, including many who may otherwise not be reached by other services.

"We have nearly 100 Centres for Warmth in the North West, and more than 450 across our wider UK footprint. They are in different communities but are all achieving extraordinary things – and making a real difference to the health and wellbeing of many.

“Funded through an allowance agreed with our regulator Ofgem, it is something that we are very proud to have created – as we know it helps those most in need.”

The funding was agreed for two years. As the first year of the partnership draws to a close, it has been revealed that, during the year:

• 22,207 individuals accessed the Communities and Wellbeing Service, and partner services, such as clubs which provide people with hot meals.
• 2,665 individuals have been supported to claim the benefits they are entitled to, as well as receive support to improve energy efficiency in the home.
• 1,734 carbon monoxide information packs have been distributed, including 431 carbon monoxide alarms, to help educate about this noxious gas.
• 600 slow cookers have been circulated, to support people leaving care to live independently, while 82 families have attended healthy cooking classes.
• 724 households have been added to the Priority Services Register, which gets them access to priority support during a gas, power, or water outage.

More information on Cadent’s Centres for Warmth programme, including a list of all centres in the North West is at https://cadentgas.com/social-responsibility/centres-for-warmth

Cadent manages the North West’s gas distribution network – around 21,000 miles of pipes which carry gas to heat millions of homes, as well as schools, hospitals, offices and other buildings, and to power industry. It also provides the region’s 24/7, year-round gas emergency service.