Warm Welcome turns up heat to help so many in need

The Warm Welcome campaign began this week across the UK, with 3,500 heating hubs opening around the nation. It is the latest in a line of new initiatives dreamt up by charities and voluntary organisations ahead of one of the toughest winters yet.

The campaign, which opens up church halls, mosques, synagogues, libraries and other public buildings, offering a warm space and a warm hand of friendship – joins the 3,000 food banks, the community pantries, swap shops and fuel banks springing up across the country.

My home area of Fife is leading in its own way. The Cottage Family Centre has piloted the multi-bank – a food, clothing, bedding, toiletries, furnishings, and baby bank rolled

into one – and, with the support of the Robertson Trust and the Northwood Trust, it is now helping 40,000 families. Known as the Big Hoose Project, the charity is delivering goods free of charge supplied by Amazon, Scotmid, Fishers Laundry, Purvis Group and 12 other local companies.

A total of 320,000 items – including nappies, toilet rolls, tinned food, bedding, home furnishings, and clothes - have already been sent out to families in need and the project will surpass 500,000 goods valued at around £10m early in 2023.

Fife has kicked off the idea of the multibank and we want to see it expand into the rest of the country. In the next few months, we hope to move into central Scotland.

The need is great. It is heart-warming to know that people are stepping up.