Community spaces which 'help people at crisis points' hoping to expand everywhere in Stockton
Leaders are hoping to expand vital community spaces which help people "at crisis points".
Scores of community spaces are now running across Stockton. Five of them offer hubs for the Bread and Butter Thing, a voluntary organisation bringing affordable food to low-income communities.
Many attendees were elderly, disabled, living with long-term health conditions. Participants said it helped combat loneliness and build friendships and community spirit, with activities including free courses and workshops, trips out, library events, debt management and support with jobs and training.
Haleem Ghafoor, strategic lead for Stockton Council's A Fairer Stockton-on-Tees strategy, said the idea of the scheme was public places for people to go for shelter, save on bills, avoid isolation and get support and advice. He said they were originally known as warm spaces: "After the first year we felt they offered much more than warmth and many of the venues decided they wanted to be open all year round.
"Currently we've got around 70 venues across 27 wards. Nearly 85% of the area is covered. Five of these offer Bread and Butter hubs.
"We're part of the national campaign, the Warm Welcome Campaign. We're well and truly ahead of many places across the country," he told the council's health and well-being board.
Project coordinator Rebecca Saunders-Thompson said the spaces had received public health funding but they were now working to make the spaces more sustainable, gain external funding and offer more training and activities. She said: "We're at a mid-point stage with the scheme.
'Highlight of the week'
"We're going to work with public health around social isolation issues and see where we can work with our public health colleagues and really enhance this offer for our communities across the borough as well. We'd also like to make sure there's at least one community space in each ward if possible.
"We've had about two or three new spaces that have said they want to join the scheme. They see the value in this.
"People are being supported and helped, sometimes at crisis points in life. They're also fun places and people go there to socialise and meet people. It's the highlight of the week."
Cllr Sylvia Walmsley said: "I regularly pop up to the one at Thornaby and the buzz in there as soon as you walk in is absolutely brilliant. It's just absolutely heaving, there's so much going on.
'One of the best success stories in 30 years'
"I'm proud of Stockton Council and Thornaby Town Council, who have ploughed a lot of money into it to keep it going, and we'll continue to do so. I think it's vital we keep on supporting these people."
Cllr Steve Nelson, cabinet member for health, leisure and culture, said: "It's one of the best success stories that I've had in 30 years and witnessed, so credit to the Fairer Stockton team for that.
"It's the voices of the people that say, this is what we want, this is what we don't want, this is what we need. I think sustainability is key in helping these groups.
"We're in hard financial times. Public health have put money in and that's made it sustainable. But we want to roll out to all the wards. The political will is there."
'Political commitment'
Committee chair Cllr Lisa Evans said she was struck by the link to loneliness, as well as welfare rights work telling people what they were entitled to: "We absolutely do have a political commitment in Stockton.
"A 1.8-mile gap from Northern Parishes to Stockton town centre, the deprivation and skills gap, and educational attainment, is huge. What we're committed to doing through the 10-year Fairer Stockton strategy is levelling up that gap and making sure some of our most deprived areas have access.
"I'm really proud of Stockton doing this. I think at a time when we've got some challenges around the borough, we do all we can to help those that need that help."
Fiona Adamson, chief executive of Hartlepool and Stockton Health GP Federation, offered using the spaces to take health services to the community: "There's all sorts of things, even if it's education, how to look after yourself. There's quite a natural link-up."
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