Warm banks are to start opening from next week in Glasgow to help people over the winter if they can’t afford to heat their homes.

Almost 30 venues have been announced as ‘Welcome Spaces’.

Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Life along with the voluntary sector are making the spaces available and staffing them to provide somewhere for people to go where they are guaranteed to get heating.

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The first venues in libraries and community centres will start to open next week and more could be added if there is demand.

Ruairi Kelly, city convener of neighbourhood services, said: “The Welcome Places programme will be an evolving situation to meet the needs of our citizens and will be part of a range of measures that we are looking at.

“With Welcome Places, we want to offer alternative solutions and a place for people to feel secure, warm, with company, and with a friendly face available to help as well as the chance to find out about other support being delivered, in some cases, by the third sector in our city.”

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Designated Welcome Places will also include welfare and refreshments, and the use of wifi and PCs in libraries, and will offer a welcoming sanctuary and heated spot for residents to spend some time in and save money.

The venues across the city to start opening from Monday, October 17:  

Bridgeton Library,

Barlanark Community Centre,

Barmulloch Residents Centre,

Bridgeton Library,

Castlemilk Community Centre,

Drumchapel Library,

Easterhouse Library @ The Bridge,

Finns Place,

Govanhill Community Centre,

Kingsway Community Connections,

Milton Library,

Mitchell Library,

Partick Library,

Penilee Community Centre,

Pollokshaws Library,

Ruchill Golf Pavilion,

Shettleston Library,

Woodside Library,

Yoker Community Campus.

Opening from October 31:

Cranhill Community Centre,  

Netherton Community Centre,

Pollok Community Centre,

Possilpoint Community Centre,

St Francis Centre.

Annette Christie, chair of Glasgow Life, said: “Our facilities have been welcoming our citizens for many years, so it seemed the most sensible thing to extend this welcome further to people in need this winter.

“During scheduled opening hours no one will be asked to leave our buildings.

“By working with voluntary sector partners, support will be on hand to offer advice and guidance if it is wanted.

“We don’t know what the impact is going to be - but what we do know is that everyone is bound to be touched by the cost-of-living or fuel crisis - that is a fact.”