Wellington Town Council is planning to put £20,000 into a cost-of-living crisis fund.

The money would be available to support partner organisations help people get through the winter as soaring energy prices and inflation bite.

Earlier this month the council invited voluntary groups, churches, schools and other agencies to meet together for a summit to discuss what support was available locally to help people struggling to heat or eat.

Since then, the town clerk Dave Farrow has had further discussions and a good way forward is considered to be finding buildings which could be opened up as “warm spaces” for at least five days a week – hubs for people to go to for a few hours a day to get warm and access other help.

Wellington Baptist Church has already offered to participate, while members of the town council’s finance committee on Monday suggested approaching other venues such as Wellington Community Centre, Wellington Football Club and Wellington Rugby Club.

Cllr John Thorne said: “People are going to be freezing their wotzits off this winter. We could find a sum of around £20,000 and put it into our cost of living crisis fund to support the local community. But we will need volunteers to man these places and run these services – helping to keep people as warm as possible during the winter.

“We as a council are supposed to be community leaders so let’s show the community what we can do.”

The town council was due to discuss at its monthly meeting on Monday the plans to make £20,000 available for a crisis fund.

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