As we come into the middle of the winter months, and with the festive season in full swing, our team are keen to share resources and support to keep yourself and your family warm and well this winter.
Resources
Falkirk Adult Support and Protection have collated this helpful guide to Stay Safe, Well and Warm This Winter: highlighting practical tips to keep your home safe, who to contact when you need someone to talk, and local library warm spaces open to all. This leaflet is particularly helpful for anyone who prefers to access support services via the telephone or in person.
Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership have collated contact details for a variety of local or national mental health and wellbeing services: Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Directory.
NHS Forth Valley Winter Zone: Hosting a variety of information services on how to look after yourself and your family this winter, including: Local Pharmacies, Help When You’re Unwell or Need Advice, Mental Health Support, Local Community and Financial Advice, Weather and Travel Advice, and more.
Scottish Government’s Parent Club offers tips and advice for all the challenges that family life throws up. This festive season, they are acknowledging the stresses and pressures this time of year can provoke and offering ideas for families to save money while still enjoying a festive and memorable holiday season. In particular, they are offering recipes which keep everybody well fed and healthy, whilst keeping bills down:
- Microwave Christmas Pudding
- What to do with Turkey Leftovers
- Healthy Cranberry & Orange Muffins
- Rice Crispy Snowballs
Fuel Support
Winter Fuel Payment: Will only be received by people on certain qualifying benefits
Pension Age Winter Heating Payment: Replacement for Winter Fuel Payment deferred until 2025/26
Warm Homes Discount Schemes:
GB Insulation Scheme: You might qualify if your home has an energy performance certificate (EPC) of D to G; is in Council Tax bands A-E in Scotland; You can be a homeowner, landlord or tenant (either renting privately or from a housing association). If you’re a tenant, speak to your landlord before you apply.
Great British Energy: Newly established publicly owned UK company dedicated to the transition to clean and renewable energy. Aims to enhance energy independence and lower energy bills for UK households. Focused on developing and investing in clean energy projects. In July 2024, partnership between Great British Energy and The Crown Estate. Aims to use the Crown Estate’s British seabed to develop offshore windfarms to power approx. 20 million homes by 2030.
BBC Teleswitch: Introduced around 40 years ago, uses radio signal to help control and manage specific electricity meters and turns heating/hot water on automatically. Old technology and the service is due to close on 30 June 2025. Energy Companies will contact their customers to replace the meters with smart meters.
- Scottish Gas will be contacting customers before the switch off.
- Utilita started contacting customers in December 2023
- Scottish Power have not started contacting customers yet, but have started deploying Smart meters for Comfort Plus.
HEAT (Home Energy Advice Team): HEAT service can support customers at risk of/in fuel poverty via telephone or in person advocacy/mentoring support:
- Help develop skills and confidence to manage home energy/save money on fuel bills
- Help pay their bill/access energy grants and crisis funds
- Deal with accumulated/unexpected fuel debt
- Help to address complex, historic billing issues
- Help to access the right/affordable home energy systems
- Increase energy efficiencies
Group 1: Focus on new gas customers in rural areas: Whitecross, Letham, California, Avonbridge and Slamannan (customers who are being connected to gas mains for first time). HEAT can offer all heat support but also, gas transition support, help with historic debt, education, carbon monoxide awareness and also financial support where possible. To access this, please see the Referral Form for above areas – or if you live outside and are looking for support, please see the General Referral Form for wider Falkirk area.
Warm Spaces
Warm spaces are designated spaces where people can often have a warm drink or meal, socialise, charge devices or play games, etc; a number in the Falkirk District area are run by third sector and community groups, including:
- Bainsford Community Hall: “Craft and Games Café” – Fridays, 11:30am – 2:30pm at Bainsford Community Hall, Davids Loan, Bainsford, FK2 7NS
- Christ Church Hall: Wednesdays, 1pm – 3pm at the Christ Church Falkirk, 55a Kerse Lane, Falkirk, FK1 1RX
- Dennyloanhead Community Hall: Tuesdays, 10am – 11:30am at the Hall, Haypark Road, Dennyloanhead, FK6 5JZ
- Dunipace Parish Church: “Toastie Tuesdays” – Tuesdays, 1pm – 4pm, Dunipace Parish Church Hall, 175 Stirling Street, Dunipace, FK6 6JR
- Grangemouth Saturday Lunch Club: Saturdays, 12pm – 2pm at Christ the King Church, 198 Bowhouse Road, Grangemouth, FK3 0HB
- Riverview Church: Tuesdays, 10:30am – 12:30pm at The Junction (Seaview Place carpark), Bo’ness, EH51 0AJ
- ROOTS’ Happy Mondays Club: Mondays, 11am – 2pm at Bonnybridge Community Hub, Bridge Street, Bonnybridge, FK4 1AA
- Slamannan Action Group: “Brunch n Blether” – Mondays, 12pm – 2pm at Slamannan Bowling Club, Station Road, Slamannan, FK1 3BQ
- Snowdrop Cafe at Falkirk Trinity Church: Mondays, 1pm – 3pm at Falkirk Trinity Church, Manse Place, Falkirk, FK1 1JN
Further afield, in the Forth Valley, St Saviour’s Episcopal Church in Bridge of Allan are pleased to share their community café, Wednesday Welcome, is open every Wednesday from 11 am to 3 pm. The café is a space for anyone to drop in for a cuppa, a chat, and a bit of company – whether they’re popping in after a walk, looking for a place to meet others, or just wanting a friendly face to talk to.
The Stay Safe, Well and Warm This Winter guide also provides contact details for all local libraries offering warm spaces open to all.
Some supermarkets are running similar schemes in their cafés over the winter, including:
- Asda’s Winter Warmer initiative: people over 60 years old can choose from 3 flavours of soup, along with a roll and unlimited tea and coffee, for £1; all day at all Asda cafés until the end of February 2025
- Asda’s £1 Kids Café Meal Deal: earlier this year, Asda confirmed their £1 kids meal deal will run all year; a free piece of fruit is included in all hot meal deals, while a cold pick and mix selection is available with a sandwich, drink, and piece of fruit or jelly
- Morrison Winter Refills Allowance: Morrisons announced all its Cafés nationwide will offer unlimited free refills across all self-serve hot drinks; hot drinks start from £1.85
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