'Sometimes families don't ask for help, people can be proud but the hub is great' - The Crumlin Community Hub is one of many public spaces opening its doors to help people during the cost-of-living crisis
As temperatures plummeted this week, a community hub in County Antrim came into its own as a place to stay warm.one of many public spaces across Northern Ireland opening as so-called "warm banks"Karen Irvine and her friend Margaret Corbet met in the centre for breakfast between snow showers on Wednesday.
"It saves you having to put the heating on, you can come round here and it's opened all day," Margaret said.Over a cup of tea, the friends spoke about the rising costs of energy and groceries."A member of staff brings you in and there's fruit, potatoes, bread and different things," Karen said.Karen Irvine said the hub was a safe space
So-called warm banks have been set up as the cost of living has risen, with people facing higher energy costs among other rising bills."Sometimes families don't ask for help, people can be proud but the hub is great," Karen said.but both said they were planning to use the money to pay for oil and coal.The director of the hub, Siobhan Murphy, revealed the centre had seen a lot of people having to choose between heating or eating.
"It's hard enough out there with the cost of everything increasing without them having to worry about weather like this and having to sit in the house freezing," she said. "It's a real dilemma, it's something that's happening to a lot of people, more people than you can imagine.
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