Building resilience through warmth: Year 1 of our partnership with Cadent Gas

In early 2024, NAVCA partnered with Cadent Gas to deliver the Centres for Warmth Fund – building on the existing network of warm spaces and community hubs across the country. Working through NAVCA members, the programme has invested in trusted local organisations to increase capacity, strengthen resilience, and connect communities with vital advice and resources.

‍

The project builds on what local infrastructure organisations do best: using trusted relationships to reach people who are often excluded, making support accessible, and removing stigma around accessing warm hubs.

‍

What we achieved in Year 1

‍

Over the past year, £250,000 was distributed to 54 Centres for Warmth via 10 NAVCA members. The funding was used to extend opening hours, cover utility bills, provide hot food and drinks, and host activities for local people.

‍

In just nine months, the Centres have already met or are close to meeting many of the programme’s long-term goals, including:

‍

• Increasing footfall to safe, welcoming community spaces.

• Helping people maximise their income and access benefits.

• Providing debt advice and referrals for free gas safety checks.

• Supporting Priority Service Register sign-ups.

‍

Centres have also used the funding to run creative activities – from cooking sessions with slow cookers, to energy efficiency conversations, to culturally tailored food workshops – all designed to support people with the practical and emotional challenges of fuel and financial insecurity.

‍

Supporting communities

‍

The project doesn’t only provide practical support, it also provides emotional support and improves health and wellbeing. Centres for Warmth have responded to immediate needs such as food, warmth and safety, but also provided a safe environment for people to talk about issues like housing, isolation, and domestic abuse.

Some of our members’ stories include:

• Donated slow cookers supporting families that need them.

• A mother in Staffordshire who learned about energy safety through a play session, later sharing what she’d learned with peers.

• Families in Barnet who, after losing their home, found dignity and stability through the practical help and trusted relationships built in Centres for Warmth.

‍

Partnerships and innovation

‍

The Centres have also become hubs of collaboration. Members and their Centres worked with Citizens Advice, fire services, food partnerships, local authorities and more to expand their reach and build wraparound support. Many Centres have developed shared delivery models, training staff and volunteers together, and experimenting with new ways of engaging communities.

‍

The flexibility of the fund has allowed Centres to innovate – adapting communications for people with limited English or literacy, translating safety materials, and using culturally relevant approaches to food and energy support.

‍

Looking ahead

‍

The first year has shown what happens when grassroots organisations are resourced to do what they do best: deliver community-led solutions to complex challenges. But it has also highlighted ongoing pressures – from rising demand and volunteer burnout, to the fragility of small community organisations.

‍

As we move into Year 2, with new members joining the programme, we’ll be focusing on deepening delivery around energy efficiency, carbon monoxide safety and Priority Service Register awareness, while continuing to share learning and build resilience across the network.

‍

The Centres for Warmth Fund demonstrates that investing in local infrastructure is not just about keeping people warm – it’s about building safe, resilient, and connected communities for the long term.