The District Council is supporting communities to set up Warm Hubs this winter, the first of which opened its doors last week in Soham, Haddenham, Littleport and Little Thetford.

Hubs in Ely, Burwell, Burrough Green, Fordham, Stetchworth and Mepal will be opening soon, with more to follow by the end of November.

This new initiative has been developed by the District Council, funded by the NHS and is coordinated by Cambridgeshire ACRE, but it is the community response that is really making it happen on the ground.

And what a heart-warming response it is!

People are rallying around to get the doors of our community spaces open, get the heating and lighting on, provide food, organise transport, put on activities and generally get the message out there.

I am certain they can always do with more volunteers, so if you are interested in lending a hand please get in touch with your local Warm Hub.

As well as offering a warm and friendly location to be with friends and neighbours this winter, Warm Hubs will also provide information and advice about other services and support available to help people deal with the rising cost of living.

There is a lot of help out there, so if you know of anyone that may be struggling, please encourage them to get in touch with the friendly Community Advice team at East Cambs.

Warm Hubs have been borne out of a need to support people through a difficult and costly winter, but they are so much more than that, and here in East Cambs, they are a marker that our communities are still the caring, responsive brilliant places they always have been.

A Huge thanks to everyone involved.

For further information, visit www.eastcambs.gov.uk/content/warm-hubs or www.cambsacre.org.uk/warmhubs.