A TOWN centre café has announced the opening of a ‘warm space’ through winter for those who need it.

Holy Trinity’s Coffee Bar, on the corner of Market Gate and Sankey Street is welcoming anyone in who maybe struggling as the cold and dark nights set in.

The café will be a ‘welcome warm space to bring people together this winter’ and to help those battling loneliness.

A spokesperson for the café said: “We want to ensure that everyone knows how to find a place of belonging; we want to make sure people know our doors are open and ready to welcome them.”

Research from the Warm Welcome Campaign shows that although there are 4,000 Warm Welcome Spaces across the country, awareness is low, and only 18 per cent of the population knows how to find their local space.

Through the Warm Welcome initiative, Holy Trinity’s Coffee Bar will help locals who need it with the following:

  • • a bite to eat and a hot drink

  • • pastoral care and a listening ear

  • • practical help

  • • our very popular crafts and games areas

  • • volunteering opportunities

A spokesperson added: “We are open on Mondays and Wednesdays between 10am and noon and on Fridays between 10am and 1pm. Please come and visit us.”

David Barclay, director of the Warm Welcome Campaign, commented on the initiative, stating: “Warm Welcome Spaces are a lifeline to communities, and we want everyone to know how they can find their local space.

“With rising energy prices and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, people are struggling to make ends meet. Too many people have to make the impossible choice between heating and eating.

“We know demand for Warm Welcome Spaces will be high this winter, not only supporting people struggling to pay the bills, but also playing a vital role in connecting communities and giving people a place of belonging.

“The dark winter days and nights can be extremely tough on anyone living alone. We don’t want anyone to feel cold or alone this winter, which is why we are working hard to raise awareness and send a message that there’s a warm welcome waiting for you in your neighbourhood.”