Teesside warm spaces 'busy all week' as freezing temperatures continue
People are using warm spaces so they don't have to put the heating on at home
Last updated 1st May 2025
We are hearing how people in Teesside are choosing to stay at warm spaces for the entire day as temperatures continue to hit minus figures.
The Link Charitable Trust in Redcar say they provide drop-in sessions with hot drinks, food and a place for children and families to play as well as supporting the elderly.
Helen Bartram, project worker, said: "What we find is that most people will stay for the full session. Obviously do come along as use it as a drop-in and it's a warm, safe space where there's hot food and there's hot drinks on access to them and obviously, they're not then having to worry about the cost of living and providing that warm space for themselves at home, they can come along to ours.
"Our drop-in services have been busy this week and over the winter period and in general to be honest, we've seen an influx in new faces and newly homeless attendees too. We do our very best in our spaces to ensure that we're prepared to deal with these kind of months but also that we're reactive to what we have to deal with.
"It's a warm and safe space that those clients can come along, they can get warm food, they can have warm drinks, and actually they're not at home worrying whether they can afford to turn the heating on and be warm in their safe space at home. They can actually come along to ours. What we're seeing is this kind of 'community vibe' really developing.
"It's vital to have more warm spaces across Teesside. The ones that are already running and providing these spaces are so vital, especially in these winter months and especially throughout the freezing temperatures. I think again not only is it that community vibe and combating social isolation, it's taking that stress off people about whether they stay at home and can they afford to have their bills by having their heating on all the time.
"We've been very generously donated extra sleeping bags, extra warm clothes, hoodies, snoods, jackets and stuff. We're seeing this kind of influx in newly homeless people too as well as in that older generation where people are worrying about bills. We're seeing people worrying about housing situations."