Gill FarringtonA CAFÉ is acting as a ‘life line’ in the morning for older people looking to avoid heating up their own homes.
Gill Farrington, chairman of the South Derbyshire Forum which runs the Bus Park Café, off West Street, Swadlincote, said the rising cost in utility bills means more and more people of all ages are using the café rather than turn the heating on in their homes.
She said: “It means that things are getting out of hand.
“The usual theory is that older people are very well off but that is just not the case and to have these rises in utilities is crippling people. It is not just older people, there are younger people too.
“We offer home cooked food to make sure everyone has a meal as people cannot just afford to sit at home.
“People with COPD, for example, they feel the cold, so if you have to have the heating on all the time that is a massive amount.
“The feeling is that if something goes up (heating bills), it never comes down.
“The café is a lifeline, not just for the food and warmth – people come here to meet other people. It is a nice social atmosphere.
“Christmas is a lonely time for a lot of people and not all of them older people.
“Many men who have lost their wife or partner are especially lonely and find it difficult to get back into going out alone.
“If anyone needs to talk they can always call over the next few weeks to talk to me. If I am not there I will always call them back.”
Mrs Farrington revealed that the café is now struggling itself, as it gets no funding, and with a loss of £3,000 a year, she fears for the future.
“It costs us about £10,000 a year to run the café which includes utilities.
“We have a knit and knatter group which raises money on our own market stall and we hold evening functions.”
The café also delivers its meals on wheels service and will be doing so every day apart from Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
The café itself is open until Christmas Eve and open again on December 27, 30 and the 31, closed for New Year’s Day and then back to normal.
Further information is available by phoning 01283 480603.