Warm spaces. Full tables. Open doors

How community organisations across North and East Yorkshire are helping people stay warm, connected and supported this winter.

When winter arrives, community organisations across North and East Yorkshire quietly step up.

They’re the places people turn when money is tight, when the heating bill feels overwhelming, or when loneliness starts to creep in. They’re the warm spaces, food banks and community hubs helping people through the toughest months of the year.

And thanks to local donors, both individuals and businesses, the Winter Resilience Fund helps them keep doing it.

Last year, the Fund awarded £25,548 to 13 grassroots organisations, supporting people across the region through the colder months.

What does that look like in practice?

In Beverley, Cherry Tree Community Centre distributed air fryers and blanket hoodies to local households struggling with high energy costs. Simple things, but things that helped families save money, stay warm and worry a little less.

In Driffield, Love Driffield provided emergency food parcels while creating warm, welcoming spaces where people could enjoy a hot drink, join an activity and spend time with others. Because sometimes what people need most is not just practical support, but connection too.

In Hull, Pelican Park Community Trust provided food and hygiene packs to families feeling the strain of rising costs. Through its holiday activities, the team sees firsthand the difference a meal can make. When children are fed, safe and supported, they can enjoy being children.

At Kingstrust Network’s Gateway Community Care Hub in Withernsea, residents found somewhere to warm up, share a meal, access practical support and spend time with others. For some, it has become a lifeline. A place where they feel known, valued and part of a community.

And in Settle, the Community & Business Hub helped a mother recovering from surgery who was struggling with reduced income and mounting worries about food and heating costs. With support from the Hub, she secured emergency financial assistance, food parcels and fuel for her home.

She later said:

“This support reduced my anxiety around food, money and heating costs, allowing me to focus on my recovery and returning to work when well enough.”

These stories are different, but they have something in common. They show the power of local organisations that know their communities, understand the challenges people face and respond with kindness, practical help and hope.

This winter, many people will once again face difficult choices. But across North and East Yorkshire, community organisations will be there, opening their doors and supporting the people who need them most.

The question is whether you can help them do it.

A donation to the Winter Resilience Fund stays local, supporting trusted organisations like these to provide warmth, food, advice, friendship and a sense of belonging when it’s needed most.

Together, we can help ensure that nobody has to face winter alone.

Donate to the Winter Resilience Fund and help local people stay warm, connected and supported this winter.

How to donate

Donate online at: Two Ridings Community Foundation – Donate now

To donate by phone, call 01904 929500 between 9am and 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Please make cheques payable to Two Ridings Community Foundation, writing ‘Winter Resilience Fund’ on the back, and send to: Two Ridings Community Foundation, The Homestead, 40 Water End, York, YO30 6WP