Workington-based charities are coming together to provide four warm hubs in the town.
Thanks to funding from Allerdale council’s resilience fund and donations from Bidfood, Caterite and Pioneer, the hubs will be set up in the Carnegie Theatre, the town’s former Game shop, Northside Community Centre and the Oval Centre in Salterbeck.
The Carnegie Theatre Trust, Age Concern West Cumbria, Riverside Housing and Northside Community Centre have worked together to open the hubs.
The cafe team at the Carnegie will provide free lunches of hot soup and rolls to residents who are struggling with rising living costs.
Barbara Cannon, a trustee of the Carnegie Theatre Trust, was closely involved in bringing the charities together.
She said: “This scheme is absolutely vital for many residents of Workington and West Cumbria. We hope that, by working together, we can reach as many people as possible who may be struggling during winter. While it’s saddening that such a scheme is necessary, it’s heart-warming to see so many people, charities, council members and companies coming together to offer their help.
“We invite anyone who needs support during the colder months to come along to the Cosy Club at the Carnegie, which will be open between 10am and 2pm every Tuesday until March 2023. The other venues will also be open on different days throughout the week.”
This isn’t the first of such schemes the Carnegie Theatre Trust has been involved with. During the summer holidays, it provided free meals to school-aged children and their families.
Barbara added: “We saw an unprecedented number of people take up this offer and so we felt it was vital that we continued offering similar support where possible.”
Café Carnegie’s Cosy Club opens at 10am on Tuesday November 23.
