Westbank’s warm welcome for the community this winter

Westbank Community Health and Care has opened the doors of its warm, welcoming winter space for the communities of Exminster and Starcross, and is trialling a new shuttle service two days a week to help local people get there.
Warmwell at Westbank is within the charity’s recently revamped Community Hub and is open Monday - Friday from 10am for anyone seeking a welcoming, heated space during the daytime where they can share a cuppa and conversation during the colder months, including over the festive season. Warmwell will be closed on Christmas Day, but open
on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day from 10 am to 4 pm. The space is free to use. Donations are welcome.
For a trial period, volunteer drivers are providing free transport on Mondays and Fridays for local people who may struggle to get to Westbank’s Healthy Living Centre at Farm House Rise in Exminster. This won’t be available on Boxing Day (Friday, 26 December), however, the service will resume the following week.
The shuttle runs from The Pavilions in Starcross (outside Westbank’s Community Larder) and from outside Exminster Victory Hall in the centre of the village. First pick up is at 10 am in Starcross and 10.15 in Exminster. Then at 12.15 in Starcross and 12.30 in Exminster. Westbank’s branded car can take up to four people and a wheelchair.
Sarah Benthall, Westbank’s Head of Voluntary and Community Services, says: “We are constantly expanding our services to the community and the free transport to Warmwell that we’re currently trialling is part of that commitment. We’re starting by offering lifts two days a week. We’d love to be able to expand that to a Monday to Friday service, but that depends on the uptake and having enough volunteer drivers.

“There’s about an hour and a half between shuttles, giving people long enough to enjoy a hot drink and a bowl of soup here - and time to chat with others if they wish to. Warmwell is much more than a warm space; it’s our way of providing a place of
belonging and connection. We look forward to welcoming as many people as possible throughout the remainder of winter.”

Katie Elliott, Head of Fundraising and Marketing, says, “Whether you just want a warm space to hang out in during the day or are seeking social connection, you’ll find it here at Westbank. The Christmas period can be a challenging time for those who live alone. We want everyone to know that there’s a very warm welcome for them here.
“As Devon’s foremost health and wellbeing charity, we are keenly aware of the ongoing pressures facing people in our community, particularly during the winter months when things can seem particularly bleak. Visitors to Warmwell can help themselves to a warm drink and store cupboard ingredients from the Community Larder. We also provide advice on how to stay warm at home and leaflets about other relevant organisations who can offer support.”

The layout of Westbank’s Community Hub has been adapted in recent months to increase the comfortable seating area and create an inviting home from home. The Hub also accommodates a long table for arts and crafts activities, and four round cafe-style tables where people can sit and chat.
The Memory Cafe on Friday mornings - a donation-based, drop-in service - is another newly launched initiative within the Community Hub to support people with dementia (no formal diagnosis is necessary). It provides activities for cognitive support, including handmade ‘fidget boards’ and textiles with zips and buttons that people can occupy their hands with, as well as lots of books to reawaken memories and stimulate conversation.
Warmwell recently welcomed Ellie Palmer, Development Director of Warm Welcome Spaces, and Andrew Button-Stephens from The Barratt Redrow Foundation, one of its UK-wide supporters. They were on a fact-finding mission to find out more about the
project and how it’s evolved in recent years. Following the visit, Ellie said, “In terms of what we’ve seen and discovered here, it’s just an amazing all-round community offer - so many different activities that bring everybody together. The space is so welcoming, the team is so supportive and the guests seem so relaxed, comfortable and engaged. Offering a warm welcome can add real value to a community, and Westbank demonstrates that.”

Andrew Button-Stephens added, “I’m slightly overwhelmed because what Westbank offers is so impressive. The Barrat Redrow Foundation funds about 500 charities nationwide, and it’s always a highlight to come out and meet the people who are
running these organisations and the volunteers that support so many people in the community.”