Warm Hubs

In collaboration with Cambridgeshire ACRE, with funding provided by the Integrated Care System (ICS), South Cambridgeshire District Council has set up a series of community-led free-to-use Warm Hubs this winter.

The Warm Hubs are being run within community spaces, where local residents can visit a safe, warm and friendly environment to enjoy refreshments and social activity, obtain information and advice, and delight in the company of others.

The network of Warm Hubs is truly community-led; coordinated and hosted by trained volunteers within the heart of local communities.

The project is recruiting and training volunteers to open Warm Hubs in their own communities with the aim of replicating the idea, to eventually establish a network of volunteer-run Warm Hubs across the district. An evaluation will take place and the learning will be shared with all partners as things progress this wintertime.

What do Warm Hubs offer?

Warms Hubs are being established in places such as: libraries, community centres, church halls, sports clubs, cafés and other places that promise a warm welcome to anyone struggling to heat their home.

Warm Hubs are totally free to use and will provide a warm welcome to all.

Some venues will also offer hot drinks, activities and other services, such as free wi-fi.

Warm Hubs will support vulnerable and isolated people, as well as those on lower incomes who are unable to pay their energy bills without compromising on other essentials, such as food, rent or hygiene, this wintertime.

We believe that Warm Hubs, established at a community level, will provide access to services for those that are perhaps ‘just managing’ with the cost-of-living crisis and who are not necessarily familiar with the systems of support available to them. The idea is to provide access to services at an early intervention stage, to prevent longer term hardship.

Warm Hubs are community-led 

Warm Hubs bring a new community-led approach to South Cambridgeshire in tackling poverty and social isolation.

People can come along to the Warm Hubs on their own, or with a friend, and talk to others over a hot drink, or maybe a hot meal. Those attending the Warm Hubs can get practical tips and advice on saving energy costs and keeping safe and warm at home. They will also be helped to find out about more specialist advice and support available to them, such as cost-of-living grants or debt advice.

Warm Hubs will also be joined to programmes that support the provision of food such as: food banks, community larders, batch cooking and pop-up community shops - with the aim of increasing local access to good quality and affordable food, so that no-one goes hungry this wintertime.

We expect Warm Hubs to reflect the needs of each community, so some might evolve out of groups that already meet, for example, a community might already be holding a community café, coffee morning or breakfast club. Some Warm Hubs might be arranged around other activities, such as play groups or older people’s / friendship clubs. Other Warm Hubs might be completely new in their set-up.

Warm Hubs locations

Unaffiliated Warm Hubs

The following Warm Spaces are not affiliated with, or run by, Cambridgeshire ACRE, but provide a similar service that residents can attend.

Trumpington Meadows Community Rooms

Venue: Trumpington Meadow Primary School, Kestral Rise, Trumpington, CB2 9AY
Opening times: Friday, 11:45am to 1:45pm
Extra information: Refreshments with donations, such as homemade soup, tea and coffee, also - children’s play, art and activities, storytelling, singing, advice on wellbeing and energy saving tips.

Histon Baptist Church

Venue: Station Road, Histon, CB24 9LN
Opening times: Wednesday, 2:30pm to 4:30pm

Bar Hill The Octagon Warm Hub

Venue: The Octagon, Hanover Way, Bar Hill, CB23 8EH
Opening times: Monday, 10am to 12pm

The following spaces are not run by Cambridgeshire ACRE in connection with our Warm Hubs project, but are community spaces that are accessible, should you need a warm place to go to.

Local Libraries

Please click on the library name to access its opening hours and address.

County Council managed Libraries

• Bar Hill
• Cambourne
• Comberton
• Cottenham
• Great Shelford
• Histon
• Linton
• Papworth
• Sawston
• Willingham

Community managed libraries

• Bassingbourn Community Library
• Fulbourn Village Library
• Gamlingay Community Library
• Melbourn Library
• Swavesey Library
• Waterbeach Library Access Point

Children and Family Centres

Cambourne Child & Family Centre is also providing a Warm Hub for families with young children.

Venue: Cambourne Child & Family Centre, Sackville House, Cambourne, CB23 6HL
Opening times: Thursdays, 1pm to 4pm