Warm Spaces @ HBC will give people a safe, warm place within Harborne Baptist Church to drop in for a few hours of the day, for at least five days a week, with the option to participate in a specific activity. Activities will vary from day to day, but possibilities include our current Place of Welcome Coffee Morning, film screenings, an art exhibition, exercise sessions or creative workshops. All activities and refreshments will be provided free of charge. Our Warm Spaces @ HBC will be open to everyone in our community. We aim to provide a warm welcome and a relaxed space for people to be through the coldest months of the year. To provide this service to the community for free, we need to cover our costs for seven months (October - April). Please join us to make Warm Spaces @ HBC a reality!

What we'll deliver:

• a warm, safe place at the heart of the community
• a space where people come to meet each other and socialise
• a variety of activities for people to participate in free of charge

Why it's a great idea:

Local community benefits of Warm Spaces @ HBC include: - participation in free activities that are accessible for all community members - access to a warm and welcoming space - a place to meet friends, old and new, and feel part of the community Wider benefits of Warm Spaces @ HBC include: - to provide a space for health and social care agencies to run drop in / referral sessions or to meet their clients - to promote community and combat loneliness and isolation - to encourage people to volunteer and get involved in the wider community - to connect people to organisations or groups that may be able to offer support or help those who attend - to facilitate a cohesive and inclusive community where people feel they belong.

Steps to get it done:

• Compile a list of potential activities and shortlist those that can be done immediately
• Add to the list those individuals who are ready to volunteer for a particular activity
• Consider what resources are required for each group
• Look at the church diary and decide on which rooms, days and times will suit for each activity
• Communicate with individuals, groups, businesses and others who might support our project
• Apply for and raise necessary funds
• Continue to communicate with individuals, groups, businesses and others who would be interested in our project
• Start to run one or two activities and then add others as volunteers, resources and possibilities become available