A Winter Warmer community event, organised by NHS Lanarkshire’s Health Improvement team welcomed local residents in Shotts to receive support, advice and some winter essentials to stay safe and warm throughout the colder months.
The event was delivered in partnership with Scottish Gas Network (SGN), Getting Better Together Shotts (GBT Shotts), and the Wishaw Locality Health Improvement team, where the teams welcomed residents to the GBT Shott’s Springhill Community Hub for an afternoon of connection.
Free soup and take-home soup packs were available for attendees, as well as draught excluders to offer a practical boost for households as winter begins. SGN, who funded the afternoon, also supported residents to stay safe in the colder months by signing up 25 people to the Priority Services Register and arranging Carbon Monoxide safety visits and further assistance with alarms.
A wide range of organisations attended across health, wellbeing, and community safety, including:
- Mental Health: Community Mental Health Team, SAMH
- Financial & Employability Support: Tackling Poverty Team, Routes to Work
- Addiction Support: Addiction Rehab Team, Turning Point
- Emergency Services: Police Scotland, Scottish Fire & Rescue
- Community Health: Treatment Room, Assisted Tech and Making Life Easier Teams, Community Link Workers, NHS 24, Lanarkshire Carers
Additional partners also included: Spotlight Shotts, Ponies Help Children, Veterans First Point, and North Lanarkshire Council’s Community Partnership Team
Grant Murdoch, Health Improvement Practitioner – Health Improvement Wishaw Locality, NHS Lanarkshire, said: “It was encouraging to hear how many residents were able to connect with services new to them, particularly the support available through the Priority Services Register as we head into the colder months.
“Chatting to different organisations who attended, they fed back residents had discovered local services and activities they had not been aware off.
“This event helped raise awareness of the range of activities and assistance available locally, and we hope it has sparked valuable new connections for individuals and community groups. A huge thank-you to GBT Shotts and SGN for hosting and funding the event, and to all the organisations who took part.”
The Winter Warmer event also offered an opportunity to introduce Shotts Space to Talk, a new outreach programme launching as a pilot from January to April. This local information hub will be based at the Shotts Co-op every Friday from 11am–2pm, with many of the services represented at the event scheduled to attend over the coming months.
