Inverclyde Council’s Warm Hands of Friendship initiative is back for a second year after councillors on the local authority’s policy and resources committee unanimously agreed the six-figure sum to fund the scheme.

The project will provide one-off grants to community groups to ensure that spaces, resources, advice and support are available throughout the area as temperatures plummet and prices rise.

Inverclyde’s Warm Hands of Friendship launched in October 2022 to support residents as part of the council’s response to the cost of living crisis.

It ran through until March this year and provided 51 grants to 44 community groups and supported just over 10,000 people across nearly 1,300 sessions.

Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council and convener of policy and resources, said: “We, as a council, are committed to doing all we can to support the residents of Inverclyde with the ongoing cost of living crisis and the Warm Hands of Friendship is a great example of the public, private and third sectors working collaboratively to support some of the most vulnerable in society. There is no doubt that Inverclyde is a caring and compassionate place.

“The figures speak for themselves with over 10,000 people supported as a result of Inverclyde’s Warm Hands of Friendship last winter so it’s only right that with prices, and particularly energy costs, still sky high that we continue this support for another year.

“I’m delighted my fellow councillors also recognise the positive impact this project has had and the importance of it returning and unanimously agreed the funding to make it happen.”

From October 2022 till March 2023, the Warm Hands of Friendship scheme empowered a variety of community groups across Inverclyde to support residents through the winter months by providing warm spaces, local social connections, meals and food.

It was one of a number of projects approved by the council’s policy and resources committee at a meeting on Tuesday 21 November 2023 as part of a winter support package worth more than £0.5 million.

Funding is being used by the council’s anti-poverty fund.