Keeping warm and staying safe: how winter warmer packs support vulnerable communities
Anyone who is currently homeless or at risk of homelessness can access support such as hot meals, housing advice, education & training, health support and creative activities at Shiloh. In addition to this more general support that runs Monday-Friday, Shiloh also runs weekly drop-in sessions to help people to access more specialised support. Every month, Healthwatch is present at the Wednesday multi agency drop-in session that runs between 11am and 1pm. At Shiloh we aim to provide a wide variety of support to anyone who approaches us, in past sessions we have:
- Signposted and referred to mental health services
- Conducted dental referrals
- Identified and investigated discrimination by health and social care services
- Made GP referrals
- Signposted to trustworthy sources for information and advice
This week, in addition to giving our usual general support, we brought along lots of ‘Winter Warmer Packs’ to give out for free to anyone at Shiloh. These packs were put together by the team at Citizens Advice Rotherham to help keep our clients warm throughout the harsh winter months! Each pack contains a pair of thermal socks, a fleece scarf, thermal gloves, a thermal hat, a fleece blanket, insulated travel mug and 2L hot water bottle, which is all contained in a handy tote bag! It was lovely to be able to make a difference on the ground and distribute practical support to those most in need; we received many super comments whilst at Shiloh which evidences what a difference a small measure such as this can make.
The winter warmer pack scheme is not solely aimed at people experiencing homelessness but more widely anyone who is struggling with the cost of heating themselves or their home. The office of national statistics reported that in 2024, 41% of adults who pay energy bills reported that it was difficult to afford them, at Healthwatch we see the impact of this regularly. This statistic evidences the need for packs such as this- actively reducing fuel costs, keeping people warm economically and reducing the impact of the rising issue of fuel poverty.
If you cannot access a winter warmer pack or would like to explore ways of keeping heating costs down, below are a few tips to help keep you and your house warm during these colder months:
1- Open your curtains or blinds. The sun’s rays are naturally warm and can provide periodic warmth to a room.
2- Utilise insulation methods like heavy curtains, rugs and layered clothing. This helps trap heat within your home for longer.
3- Use an electric blanket. If you can afford one, an electric blanket is a great way to keep yourself warm throughout the night, it is much cheaper to run than keeping your heating on.
4- Block out draughts. By covering the gaps around your doors or windows with rolled up towels, you can stop cold air coming through into your room and trap heat inside for longer.
5- Use your oven. After cooking with your oven, try leaving the oven door open whilst it cools down, this will disperse the hot air into your kitchen so it is not wasted.
Next steps
Attending Shiloh each month gives us invaluable insights into the experience of homeless people, a group that is often under-represented in health and social care settings. At Healthwatch, we seek to give the under represented a voice so that they can access the equality in healthcare everyone deserves. Whilst handing out the winter warmer packs, we received constructive feedback relating to the content of the packs and how they may need to be adapted to better serve the homeless community. Among these comments were the fact that hot water bottles may not be most useful to people currently homeless and thus don't have reliable access to boiling water. Furthermore, the great point was made that a key part of keeping warm is eating hot meals. Whilst homeless people may be given tinned food, soups, and meal kits, with no on hand facilities to cook/ reheat it, the food is rendered highly unappetising. This feedback is key to Healthwatch’s aim to amplify patient voice, all comments and suggestions will be given as feedback on the packs, to help improve the service and our future initiatives for 2026!
We would like to thank Shiloh for hosting us each month, allowing us to contribute to such an invaluable service. We look forward to continuing our partnership in the future.
Further support
If you are struggling with fuel costs, the cost of living crisis or at risk of/ experiencing homelessness, you can access any of the following webpages for information on how to access further support.
- https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/get-help-paying-your-bills/grants-and-benefits-to-help-you-pay-your-energy-bills/
- https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/cost-of-living/get-help-with-the-cost-of-living/
- https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/homelessness/council-can-help/3
