On a crisp, bright day in Severn Beach, with the mercury barely creeping above freezing, the Bristol Channel looks clear blue for a change instead of its usual murky brown, while towering nearby smokestacks catch the light as they hang motionless in the icy air.
It’s a picturesque wintery view to look out upon from somewhere warm. But the plummeting temperatures of the past week have, for many, bought the reality of the rise in energy prices to a head as they reluctantly let their homes grow cold and inhospitable and try to make do without their heating.
Tucked away in an unassuming modern building on a smart housing estate, Emmaus Church Centre is one of the dozens of 'warm spaces' across the wider Bristol area that have been providing respite from the cold for anyone that needs it. Popping up everywhere from gyms, religious buildings and community halls, warm spaces all have their own opening times and offer varying amenities to anyone that wishes to use them.
