INVERCLYDE Council’s Warm Hand of Friendship supported 75 voluntary, community and third-sector organisations to provide warm and welcoming community spaces across Inverclyde in 2025/26.
The programme awarded £110,000 enabling access to food, advice, practical support and social connections to help reduce the impact of poverty and social isolation.
It reached families, older people, people affected by poor mental health, recovery and addiction challenges, people for whom English is a second language and those experiencing financial hardship.
There were more than 19,000 attendances by members of the public at Warm Hand of Friendship venues between October 2025 and March 2026. The next round of funding will open in October.
The fund began in 2022 in response to the cost-of-living crisis. Last year the council committed to continuing it through to June 2028.
Council leader Stephen McCabe said: “As the nights start to draw in, it’s a good time to remind people of the support which is out there over the winter months.
“The Warm Hand of Friendship has been embraced by the people of Inverclyde since we launched it in 2022 and has grown every year.
“It has developed from an emergency winter response during the cost-of-living crisis, to helping local organisations address poverty, isolation and wellbeing across our communities.
“We are proud to have supported local organisations which have helped make a real difference to people’s lives.”
Organisations have reported increasing attendance, with some sessions reaching capacity and recording year-on year growth: “Each week we had over 120 people attend our sessions, booked to capacity.”
“Families attend more regularly with the provision of food, particularly in the winter months.”
