A CHURCH in Newport has offered use of it's main hall as a 'warm hub' for those struggling this winter.

The reverend of St Andrew's Church in Lliswerry, Linda Batt, is hoping that the move will help anyone during the cost of living crisis - though the scheme needs volunteers in order to go ahead as a number of the congregation live outside Newport.

The plan is for the church hall on Somerton Road to be open on Mondays, between 9.30am and midday and on Thursdays, from 10.30am until 1pm.

Rev Batt said: "I'd like to call it 'St. Andrew's warm hug', not warm hub. I think it sounds a bit bit more inviting.

"As soon as I heard everything about costs of energy and everything going up, I just thought we had a new roof on our church hall earlier in the year and it's acted as extra insulation. So the, the hall gets very warm.

"Then I thought we're open twice a week for other things, if we can extend that and make it somewhere where people can have somewhere to come and just be and chat.

"Not as a religious space, as a space where people can just come and chat with one another.

"It really has a purpose, this is not just opening it for the sake of opening it to try and get the community to come in this time. There is a real and deep need."

The church has been encouraged in the endeavour by the Church in Wales, which has asked all churches in Wales to help out however they can.

In the summer during the hottest days, some churches opened their halls as 'cool hubs' so people could escape the heat in cooler spaces.

Donations have been made in the form of tea bags, biscuits and Cup-Soups in anticipation of the scheme, and Rev Batt is hoping to get some board games for the hall.

Rev Batt said: "It's just to make it a community space where you can come and have a warm drink and a chat and not worry about your heating on at home.

"I don't have expectations. I have hopes.

"I hope that people will find that it is somewhere to come, that they don't feel uncomfortable, that they feel that you know they're not being judged because they use it.

"There is no hidden agenda, I'm not pushing the church.

"I just want people to know that this is a safe space that will be warm and they will be very welcome."

To volunteer your time to help at this warm hub, contact Rev Batt at parishoflliswerry@gmail.com.