Sitting down with a brew, warm bank regular, Julie Mellor, is ready to settle in for the morning, glad to be safe and cosy.
Julie, 62, comes here most days with husband, Trevor.
They are both retired and with bills rising and the cost of living rocketing, they need this space to stay warm, but also to help with their food shopping.
Julie says: “The bills have gone up. I have cut back on our heating to just twice a day, as soon as it is warm, I turn it off. It is very, very bad.
“I also take some of the food they give here, like tins of soups. I don’t know what the answer is but the government must do more to help us.”
Julie is at Killamarsh Methodist Church, one of six Sheffield churches opening their doors to communities in need this winter.
They are taking it in turns to host Warm Welcome spaces. Warm Welcome is a register of safe spaces where people can shelter each day.
As the cold weather bites, the Mirror’s Warm Hearts Christmas campaign is helping fund these spaces for this winter and beyond.
Pensioner Martha, 77, who has arthritis and has restricted mobility, visits two of the Sheffield spaces.
She says: “Everything has gone up, I’m living off my basic pension and some benefits, but it can be a struggle.
“You have to watch very carefully what you spend your money on.
“Shopping that would have cost £20, is now £46. It is so scary. The government gives help, like the £66 off energy bills and Warm Home Discount Scheme, but it is there one minute, gone the next.”
Martha says: “The government thinks elderly people have savings, but many of us have very little. You try to save, but can’t keep up with daily living costs. I’ve made changes, I wash the dishes and my clothes in the evening as it is meant to be cheaper.”
For now, at least Martha is warm, and she enjoys the activities and the companionship here, too.
As well as free hot drinks, the six churches offer breakfasts, community meals, crafts and games. Several run food pantries, too.
Retired retail manager, Raymond Marriott, 77, attends all of the warm spaces and enjoys the community meals. He says: “For me, it is about socialising and meeting people as I have lived alone since my wife died.”
Retired railway worker, Kevin Wood, 77, is here with his 95-year-old neighbour. Kevin says: “I have noticed my smart meter has gone up very fast, but I try not to live by it because I need to eat and stay warm.
“The £66 a month is a massive help. I always use the reduced aisles and shop in places like Aldi.”
Pastor, David Taylor, says older residents are struggling, but can often be too proud to ask for help.
He says: “A lot of people who attend Warm Welcome are elderly, they were born around the war time, so many have been here before.
“They have the attitude that, ‘We will get through this time’. A lady in the community has opened her house as a warm space for her neighbours. It is well-used.
“Many people put on a brave face, but some are really struggling for many reasons, like health problems.”
Richard Wells, church steward and treasurer at Killamarsh Methodist Church, says they are now preparing for the Christmas lunch, expecting a turnout of up to 90 people. He explains the church is preparing for a price hike too.
He says: “The church itself relies on grants. We’re on a fixed energy rate until April, after that we know it’ll probably go up.
“We want people to understand about the cost of living crisis and we help direct them to resources and support. Loneliness plays a big part in this, people come here to meet their friends, it is an opportunity for them to leave their house.
“The church supports nearby foodbanks and we work together with the refugee charity, Assist.
“We recently held a second-hand prom dress sale and it was packed. We know times are hard, which explains the great turnout.
“As they say, ‘Love thy neighbour’, and this is what our community is about.”
