Yorkshire warm bank: This is what it's like inside one of the buildings where people can keep warm in Yorkshire this winter

The cost of living crisis has been mounting for months as rising energy bills and double-digit inflation eat away at the precious little those living from paycheck-to-paycheck had. But as the frost covers Hull, the crisis reaches new depths as people are driven out of their own homes because they simply cannot afford to keep them warm.

Fears of what winter might bring pushed Hull City Council and others into action earlier this year, leading to plans for the warm spaces now stepping in to help. And as a visit to one in St Phillip’s Church open on Monday mornings shows, the young, old and everyone in between is touched by the crisis.

Monday, December 12 marks the second week of The Hot Pot warm space which offers food, drink and company as well as a respite from the cold. Walking inside, children play with toys provided by volunteers as their parents and others sat huddled around tables, clutching teas and coffees while wearing their hats, coats and scarves.

The church, in Amethyst Road, lies in Hull’s Marfleet ward and next door to Longhill and Bilton Grange and it also runs a food bank on Fridays. Figures for Marfleet show 28.6 per cent of homes were in fuel poverty compared to 20.8 per cent across Hull and 13.2 per cent in England on average. Those statistics date from 2020. Two years on, after months of rampant inflation and rocketing energy costs, they are likely much higher.

‘I feel like I’m being punished’

Tony Dearing, Louisa Novis and Tonita Bennett are all neighbours who live in the same block of flats nearby St Philip’s Church. They all said the crisis had pulled them and the wider community closer together as they try and help each other through the worst. Tonita said she had been forced to cash in her pension now rather than saving it for the future because of how high costs had risen.

The 60-year-old said: “I’m a carer. I work and I have to come here because it costs a fortune to keep warm at home now. I feels like I’m being punished for trying to do the right thing. With everything that’s going on now it feels like we’re going back to the Dark Ages.”

Tony said the £50 to £60-a-week he receives in benefits was now not enough to maintain a basic standard of living.

The 51-year-old said: “I’ve been coming to the food bank here on Fridays for about four or five months. I’m out of work and on benefits at the moment, I’m not living, I’m just surviving. Once I’ve bought my food and paid for energy and water I have hardly anything left.

“And there’s people who are far worse off than me, how can we bear to see our own people going without especially when it’s this cold? Places like this are trying to do their best, but they have to budget too.”

‘I can’t believe it’s come to this’

Louisa said she never imagined the situation would get as bad as it has done. The 42-year-old said: “It’s only as the temperature dropped in the last week that I really started to think about it. Last week we were sat underneath quilts and covers at home, it was then that I started to think I can’t believe it’s come to this. It’s awful. You daren’t even put a little heater on.

“I’ve always tried to make my money go as far as possible in the supermarket, but when I go now I spent 30 quid and I only fill two carrier bags up, I used to fill six with that. Then there’s the young people, my daughter’s 19 and she’s just had a baby, it’s really hard for her she’s struggling. She’s got a big family so she won’t go without at Christmas, it’s more day-to-day living that’s difficult.

“For so many people, coming to a food bank or somewhere like this is a pride thing, it’s hard for a lot of people to swallow that pride and get help. We’re doing our best to try and help each other through this in the flats where we live. That’s what’s great about this place, despite everything that’s happening it brings the community together which is why we come here.

“When it comes to Christmas we’re just trying to plan as we go along, we’re not sure what we’re going to do food-wise yet. All of us are planning on going into the pound shop with £10 each to spend so everyone has a present to open on Christmas Day.”

‘We want to create a sense of community’

Wendy Gillings, the manager of The Hot Pot, said 33 adults and five children had come to the church for the warm space and food in just one day on Monday.

Wendy said: “All kinds of people have come here, this morning for instance we had mums who brought their toddlers with them. They came in for breakfast then later on some adults came for a meal, we had one gentleman come because he had no food in his house. We want to create a sense of community here not just keep people warm, we’ve changed the food bank now too so people can come and have a tea or coffee so it’s more social.

“I think things will only pick up here, this place is going to be pretty full by February. January is hard as it is, after this Christmas when people have spent money on their families it’s going to be a struggle. It’s going to be a work in progress for the next few months, but we’ve got a strong team of volunteers who are all willing to help.”