Tuesday January 28 2025
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown joined guests at the Salvation Army Warm Welcome Space in his hometown of Kirkcaldy, Fife, last week.
Mr Brown, founding patron of the Warm Welcome Campaign, made the visit in Warm Welcome Week, a campaign to celebrate and raise awareness of the UK’s 5000-plus Warm Welcome Spaces.
He joined guests and volunteers for a Big Welcome Breakfast, a place where the local community can gather, keep warm, and share a meal together. He was accompanied by Salvation Army Captain Andrew Manley and Warm Welcome’s Development Director, Ellie Palmer.
Mr Brown said: “Warm Welcome Week is a time to celebrate the creation of hubs of good neighbourliness, compassion, and kindness in our communities. I have shared the warmest of welcomes at my local Salvation Army Warm Space in Kirkcaldy, where, like all the 5,000 Warm Welcome Spaces across the UK, good-hearted neighbours come together to brighten each other’s days. These spaces are powered by human kindness, companionship, and, of course, a good cup of tea or coffee and fantastic cakes and biscuits.”
“It is a testament to the dedication of thousands of volunteers that since October more than 1,000 new Warm Welcome Spaces have opened, including the opening of our 5,000th Warm Welcome Space this week. They are a growing and inspiring chain of hope that links one end of the country to the other and connects young and old to each other.”
Ellie Palmer said: “We were thrilled that our Founding Patron Gordon Brown joined us at the wonderful Kirkcaldy Warm Welcome Space today. It was a real boost to guests and volunteers, with smiles all around, and a perfect way to shine a light on these spaces and celebrate Warm Welcome Week.
“We’ve already seen a huge demand for Warm Welcome Spaces this January, not only supporting people struggling to pay the bills but also playing a vital role in connecting communities and giving people a place of belonging. The dark winter days of January can be extremely tough. We don’t want anyone to feel cold or alone this winter.”
There are further warm welcome spaces in Kirkcaldy in Dysart St Clair and Pathhead Churches of Scotland. For more warm spaces in Fife visit https://our.fife.scot/gethelp/topics/support-with-heating-and-utility-costs/warm-spaces/warm-space-locations and for a nationwide map of Warm Welcome Spaces visit https://www.warmwelcome.uk/find-a-space#map
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