As the evenings get darker and the heating goes on, many families across Balsall Heath, Sparkbrook and Sparkhill start to feel the pinch. That is exactly why our Warm Welcome Space exists — a free, heated and friendly place where anyone can come in from the cold.
What is a Warm Welcome Space?
Smart Citizens Community Centre is proud to be part of Birmingham City Council’s Warm Welcome network: a citywide group of community spaces that open their doors so nobody has to sit alone in a cold home. You do not need a referral, an appointment or a reason. Just come in.
What you will find when you arrive
- A warm room to sit, read, rest or chat for as long as you like.
- Hot drinks and, on many days, a freshly cooked meal from our community kitchen.
- Friendly faces — volunteers who live locally and speak English, Urdu, Punjabi and Mirpuri.
- Help if you want it — with letters, forms, phones and getting online, or signposting to other local services.
Why it matters
When we looked at why people came to our Warm Welcome Space, the answers were clear: 45% came because of energy costs, 35% because of food insecurity and 15% because of social isolation. Behind every one of those numbers is a neighbour who deserved somewhere warm to go.
Thanks to £7,000 of Warm Welcome Spaces funding from Birmingham City Council, we recorded 420 warm space visits, served 840 hot drinks, provided 2,625 meals and distributed 125 food boxes. This winter we want to reach even more people.
Visit us: Smart Citizens Community Centre, 52 Chesterton Road, Birmingham B12 8HE. Open Monday to Saturday, 9:30am – 5:30pm. Warm Welcome sessions run through the winter.
Bring a friend
If you know someone who is struggling to heat their home, or who rarely gets out, please tell them about us — or bring them along yourself. Sometimes the hardest part is walking through the door for the first time, and a familiar face makes all the difference.
Free. Warm. Everyone welcome.
