Scores of venues across Brighton and Hove are creating warm spaces where those that need to can shelter from the cold this winter.
Brighton and Hove City Council has published a directory of venues, including libraries, places of worship and community centres, where people struggling with energy bills can come and warm up.
It includes a map and other details such as opening times and contact information.
One of the venues on the directory is the new Ledward Centre in Jubilee Street.
Manager Meg Brosnan said: “We see it as part of our responsibility and duty of care towards our community, especially at a time when there are so many of us that are struggling to get through the winter.
“We’ve got the space and it’s a natural extension of what we already offer as an LGBTQ+ community space.
“While we are under construction downstairs, and will be until the new year, the café is open and we operate on a pay what you can or pay what you feel basis, as well as having a free board.
“There’s no obligation for anyone to purchase anything to be in the café, all we ask is that those that are in the space respect that our primary goal is the comfort and wellbeing of the LGBTQ+ community.
“We see the café as our living room, and we strive to be welcoming hosts.
“We’re also home to the Rainbow Hub, who can direct people to other LGBTQ+ specific services, should they need them.”
The Ledward Centre is undergoing some redecorating work, so they advise people to call or keep an eye on their social media to double check opening times.
Amaze, a Brighton charity that supports children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, are hosting coffee mornings for parent carers and their Amazing Futures group.
Chief executive of Amaze, Sally Polanski, said: “We know that these are difficult times and we want to make sure Amaze is supporting parents, carers and disabled young people as best we can.
“At our meetings and events, people will have somewhere they can meet in the warm, charge phones and have hot drinks and snacks.”
Sussex Surplus, which is based in the Bristol Estate Community Room, is also offering a warm space and says there is a rising demand in its services due to the cost of living.
Phil Holtam from Sussex Surplus said: “Our project is all about creating social value from surplus food, including increasing access to healthy produce and creating employment opportunities for people facing barriers to work.
“We are seeing an increase in demand for our services and more people are being referred for food access support.”
A spokesperson for the council said that information will be sent next week to every household in Brighton and Hove about benefits, emergency help, financial advice and help with energy costs.
Click here for the full directory and map.
Participating venues
- Amaze Sussex – 112-117 Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XG
- BMECP Centre – 10A Fleet Street, Brighton, BN1 4ZE
- Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project – 6 Tilbury Place, Brighton, BN2 0GY
- Bristol Estate Community Room – Donald Hall Road, Brighton, BN2 5DE
- Chatty Cafe – Hove Methodist Church Portland Road, Hove, BN3 5DR
- Church of the Holy Cross – Church Of Holy Cross Downsway, Brighton, BN2 6BD
- City Church Gate @ The Dip – 119D Hollingdean Terrace, Brighton, BN1 7HB
- Coldean Library – Library Court, 24 Beatty Avenue, Brighton, BN1 9ED
- Community Kitchen – 113 Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XG
- EBFC Whitehawk Kitchen – Kingfisher Court Albourne Close, Brighton, BN2 5FX
- Fabrica – 40 Duke Street, Brighton, BN1 1AG
- Hangleton Community Centre – Hangleton Community Centre Harmsworth Crescent, Hove, BN3 8BW
- Hangleton Library – West Way, Hove, BN3 8LD
- Hollingbury Library – Old Boat Corner Community Centre, Carden Hill, Brighton, BN1 8GN
- Hollingdean Hub @ Hollingdean Community Centre – Hollingdean Community Centre Thompson Road, Brighton, BN1 7BH
- Hove Library – 182 – 186 Church Road, Hove, BN3 2EG
- Jubilee Library – Jubilee Street, Brighton, BN1 1GE
- Knit and Knatter – 121 Nevill Road, Hove, BN3 7PZ
- Manor Road Gym – The Manor Gym Manor Road, Brighton, BN2 5EA
- Mile Oak Library – Portslade Academy, Chalky Road, Portslade, BN41 2WS
- Moulsecoomb Library – The Highway, Brighton, BN2 4PA
- Old Boat Corner Community Centre – The Old Boat Corner Community Centre Carden Hill, Brighton, BN1 8GN
- ONCA Barge – The Octagon Waterfront, Brighton, BN2 5UU
- Patcham Library – Ladies Mile Road, Brighton, BN1 8TA
- Portslade Library – Old Shoreham Road, Portslade, BN41 1XR
- Portslade United Reformed Church – Portslade United Reformed Church St Aubyns Road, Portslade, BN41 1AB
- Rottingdean Library – The Grange, Rottingdean, BN2 7HA
- Sew Fabulous – Open Market Marshalls Row, Brighton, BN1 4JU
- St Cuthman’s Community Cafe – St Cuthman’s Church Whitehawk Way, Brighton, BN2 5HE
- St George’s Church – St Georges Church St Georges Road, Brighton, BN2 1ED
- St Richard’s Community Centre – St Richards Church And Community Centre Egmont Road, Hove, BN3 7FP
- The Bevy Community Pub – 50 Hillside, Brighton, BN2 4TF
- The Craven Vale Community Centre – 17A Hadlow Close, Brighton, BN2 0FH
- The Hop 50+ – Palmeira Square, St John’s Road, Hove, BN3 2FL
- The Ledward Centre – The Jubilee Library Jubilee Street, Brighton, BN1 1GE
- Westdene Library – Bankside, Westdene, BN1 5GN
- Whitehawk Inn – Whitehawk Inn Whitehawk Road, Brighton, BN2 5NS
- Whitehawk Library – 179A Whitehawk Road, Whitehawk, BN2 5FL
- Woodingdean Library – Warren Road, Woodingdean, BN2 6BA
What a fascinating list – especially since Hove Town Hall and Brighton Town Hall are not showing as being available?
Yet not only do both of them have spacious ground floor areas with comfortable seating, they also have that essential – good toilets close at hand! BTH even has a nice shower cubicle – but bring your own towel!
All paid for over the years by City taxpayers, but in this time of need for some of us we find ourselves barred!
Sounds like it’s long overdue for Councillors, our elected representatives, to rid our City Council of its inexcusable bullying ‘Hostile Environment’ corporate culture; and to make clear to Council officers that these officers are paid, by us, to SERVE and not to rule!
Or has the time come for Councillors to vote to invite the current Chief Executive to progress his career elsewhere, whilst recruiting a much more capable CEO from outside, possibly from among the ranks of some of the excellent senior officers who’ve resigned from our City Council over the years (which could save on the three months or so salary, + advertising costs etc, which high-end recruitment agencies tend to charge)?
Without detracting from the good intentions of the local entities listed above City taxpayers also need to know how much public money is being awarded to each location?
And how are the amounts calculated: ideally on a figure of seats + wheelchair spaces, floor area, hours per week open, and minimum temperature for all of the opening periods – plus a premium related to the size and nature of associated toilet facilities being offered, surely?
Not least in order to see that council venues, such as the libraries, are not being awarded extra taxpayers money for their standard facilities, already paid for out of the council’s annual operating budget?
And for the Jubilee and Hove Carnegie libraries something might need,to be done to limit occupancy by university students, who should instead be studying in the campus facilities they already pay for with their annual tuition fees, such as the truly magnificent library up at the University of Sussex?
Come on, Councillors – time to do some work to make sure that all the details of this excellent-sounding winter initiative are indeed as excellent as the overall concept sounds to be, surely?