Cost of living: Northamptonshire venues offer warm rooms this winter

Churches, libraries and community cafes are opening their doors to give people somewhere to go to keep warm as the cost of living rises.

Several venues in Kettering, Northamptonshire, have signed up to the warm places scheme.

A church, chapel and the Sunday School Rooms in Bugbrooke, near Northampton, are also offering what they describe as a "community living room".

Jane Wood, behind the Bugbrooke scheme, said there was a demand for it.

"Bugbrooke is a lovely village and we're lucky to live here but we do have a village foodbank that supplies 20 families every week, so that seems to tell me that people who might be struggling to afford to feed their families every week are going to find it very difficult to cope with high heating bills," she said.

"Living in a rural area, people seem to be more affected by the increase in the price of petrol and diesel because they often have to travel by car to go to places, so the need is definitely out there."

She added: "We want it to be about fostering a sense of community and perhaps helping people avoid isolation in the winter as well as keeping warm."

Parish councillor Ms Wood said the scheme was starting with three venues on three days of the week but it was hoped they could provide somewhere for people to go every day of the week.

She said the parish council was funding the first month of the project, which starts on 31 October.

In Kettering, the town's library, Open Door Church and Johnny's Happy Place community cafe are among the venues that have signed up to the scheme.

Adrian Horner, who is from Open Door Church and is coordinating the initiative, said there was somewhere people could go each day of the week, at various times, and some provided hot meals.

"Anyone can turn up, it's entirely free," he said.

"It's not just the warmth that we want to provide but give people company and maybe there are things that can be built around doing an activity or a craft, or a coffee morning, so it's something to look forward to in the week."

The cost of living rose by 10.1% in the 12 months to September - the fastest rate in 40 years - driven by sharp price rises in energy and food costs.

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