Community groups and organisations in South Belfast have come together to provide 'Cosy Hubs'to support people during the cost of living crisis.
The Ormeau Road Cosy Hubs are a new venture that have been established by the Ballynafeigh Clergy Fellowship working in partnership with community organisations to provide a warm space for people to relax in as they try to cope with increasing energy bills.
The scheme hopes to bring people together for a cup of tea, bite to eat and a chat.
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From Monday to Friday a different location in the Ormeau Road area will be opened as a Cosy Hub so there will always be somewhere for people to go each day of the week, with each venue offering something different.
The organisations involved in the scheme are: Ballynafeigh Methodist Church, Cooke Centenary Church, St Jude's Church, Village Church, Good Shepherd, St John's Church, Annadale Community Centre and Ballynafeigh Community Development Association.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Ministers David Hines of the Ballynafeigh Methodist Church and Anne Tolland from St John's Presbyterian Church, said they were proud to see so many in the Ormeau Road area come together to look after their community.
David said: "We are hoping that our new Cosy Hub scheme will be a way that we are able to bring people together, while also providing them with somewhere warm and safe to spend a few hours during the winter.
"There is a real sense of worry among some of the vulnerable groups in our community about the upcoming winter and how they will be able to cope due to the rising energy costs and we felt that as a collective we needed to do something to help and support people.
"Every day of the week we will have a hub open for a few hours so there will always be somewhere for people to go and each location is doing something a little bit different.
"The Ormeau Road is a very diverse area and we are lucky that all of our organisations have great relationships with each other and are able to work together to help our community and look after each other."
Anne said: "I think that this is a wonderful way of supporting our community while also bringing people together to socialise and enjoy themselves and have a bite to eat and a cup of tea.
"Coming into the winter months there will be people who are struggling and there has been a great response from organisations across the area who are keen to support people and open up their facilities.
"Hopefully it will also be an opportunity to meet new people and visit places they may not have been to before, which will only make our community stronger."
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