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Being cold isn’t just uncomfortable, it can be bad for some people’s health, so a quick call or text could make the world of difference to someone.
Help protect yourself against cold weather by keeping your home at least 18C, particularly if you live with older people, young children or those with long-term health conditions.
Visit a community living room
For people feeling the cold, community living rooms continue to be open across North Somerset.
These safe, welcoming and non-judgmental spaces are places where you can go to meet other people, access information about support, enjoy a hot drink and stay warm.
They’re open in local buildings, libraries, places of worship and sports centres.
Alliance Homes manages two community living rooms in Weston-super-Mare and says they have made positive impact and a real difference in bringing communities together.
Wessex Water also supports the scheme. Visitors can find a host of information from the company, such as how to get help with your water and sewerage services, what happens if you suffer a water outage, or what to do if you need help paying your water bill.
Find your community living room and see opening times on our website.
Avoid winter bugs
There are simple steps you can take to stay healthy and avoid winter illnesses.
Flu, covid and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have been circulating widely so anyone who is eligible for a vaccine is strongly encouraged to get it if you haven’t already.
Norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhoea, was also on the rise at the end of last year so wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds to help reduce the spread.
If you have a cough or sore throat, along with a fever, consider giving social gatherings a miss as it’s best to avoid close contact with other people, especially those who are vulnerable.
Getting plenty of rest, drinking lots of water and taking over-the-counter medications are often effective ways for dealing with common minor illnesses like colds, sore throats and coughs.
Support for rough sleepers
Last week’s freezing conditions meant the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) was activated for people sleeping rough.
This protocol means necessary steps are taken to ensure all people we know to be sleeping rough can access shelter if it's believed they're at risk due to sleeping rough during severe or extended cold weather.
The outreach team went out every morning offering support to people.
However, not everyone who was sleeping rough wanted to accept the offer, and they will all have their own reasons for declining.
The YMCA outreach team will continue to offer help and support to everyone sleeping rough.
Many places in the area offer support, such as day centres and other places providing hot meals, giving medical care and housing advice, and so the best way to help someone on the street is to point them to these services.
If you see someone who appears to be rough sleeping:
- contact StreetLink to report them. This will connect the person to local support services and outreach teams who can help. You can also encourage them to contact our homeless prevention team
- if you see someone who looks hungry – refer to the In-Crisis leaflet for options in Weston-super-Mare, including food banks and community kitchens providing meals or food packages. This leaflet, created by Key Steps, can also be picked up from Somewhere To Go in the Boulevard. The leaflet also includes information about outreach services, health resources, and social services to support rough sleepers.
- if you have concerns about anti-social behaviour from the street community – visit our website for community response groups across North Somerset to report and address any anti-social behaviour concerns.
- If you’d like to make a donation to help local rough sleepers – rather than giving money, food or other items directly to someone sleeping rough, Somewhere To Go and the YMCA accept monetary donations through their websites and may also accept food, clothing and hygiene items, which can directly support their services.
- If you’re concerned about someone’s health or vulnerability – contact StreetLink or a local community response group. If it's urgent, consider emergency services for immediate medical intervention.
Safe travel
Keep an eye on our Travel and Roads Facebook page for the latest information about our road network, including when the gritters will be out.