Spread joy this winter
Join us and keep our communities connected and cosy over the darker months. We’ve put together some winter warming ideas to help you spread the joy!
Easy ideas for winter walks
Activities and e-books
Free e-cards to brighten up your day
Download our free uplifting virtual postcards for yourself or share with others.
Winter warmer recipes
Food to warm your cockles and cheer your heart!
Recipes
Homemade hot chocolate sticks
Activities and e-books
Alternative advent calendar – the Scarf of Kindness
With advent calendars of all shapes and sizes flying off the shelves,…
Easy ideas for winter walks
You’re not alone if you find it hard to motivate yourself to get outside, even if you know it’s good for you.
We also know that spending time with each other is beneficial, helping to reduce loneliness, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and improve wellbeing. So grab a friend, neighbour or colleague and head outdoors together for a double dose of dopamine!
Here’s some easy ideas for getting outside in January and February.
Organise a fancy dress walk in your community
It’s a fun way to get people up and out taking steps and talking together. Pick a date and plot a route, then invite your whole street, neighbourhood or project, your school families, or even work colleagues.
What can you spot from your window?
If you’re not able to get outside for any reason, don’t worry. You can still get the benefits of being outdoors, even without going for a walk. Sit next to a window (getting that daylight) and take some time to notice what you can see, what you can hear and what you can smell.
Litter pick
A great way to bring your community together is to do a litter pick of your local area. Set a date and a time and put some posters up.
Stories of community cheer
My Festive Open House
Lindsey, our Programme Director, is on the road so much she doesn’t often have time to meet or speak to her neighbours. In Christmas…
Sowing the seeds of community initiatives
Our Community Camp programme (now including the Introduction to Community Action course) has sparked over 1,000 community initiatives across the UK since it started.…
How I organised my first Big Lunch
Big Lunches are great fun but we know taking the first steps toward organising one can be a little daunting: even our own team…
Warm Welcome Spaces
We know the cold, dark months can be challenging in many ways, particularly so for those with worries about food and heating, and those who are lonely and isolated.
Our friends at Warm Welcome are ensuring everyone has somewhere warm and friendly to go this winter. They’ve got a map listing thousands of Warm Welcome Spaces where communities can gather for warmth, welcome and meaningful connections.
Why not explore your local Warm Welcome Space, it’s a great place to connect with your community and to make new friends, and if you have access to a local community space, why not list it on the Warm Welcome map?
Sparks of joy
0
ideas sown for winter warmth
0
actions taken to spread joy
0
people have joined us at a winter event
“We always look forward to our carol singing event – it gets everyone in the festive spirit and brings the whole community together. It’s a team effort, with the independent coffee shop providing free coffee and electricity for our local musician, and neighbours baking mince pies and stollen to enjoy.”
Marilyn
Winter warmer recipes
Spread joy and keep cosy over the colder months with our selection of winter and festive recipes.
It’s food to warm your cockles and cheer your heart!
The Big Lunch at Christmas
The Big Lunch brings millions of people together to share friendship, food and fun as the UK’s annual celebration for neighbours and communities.
This festive season, we’re encouraging everyone to gather neighbours, friends, colleagues or volunteers to celebrate our connections and keep our communities cosy. We’ve got all the resources you need to host a Big Lunch at Christmas, from invites to cracker templates and food flags.
Free and affordable events
The Government’s Help for Households campaign have put together a list of free and low cost England-wide activities this winter.
Winter inspiration
More ways you can spread joy over the darker months.
The Big Lunch at Christmas
All the resources you need to host a Big Lunch at Christmas,…
Reduce loneliness and isolation
Anyone at any age can be lonely. We can all take small…
Winter warmer recipes
Food to warm your cockles and cheer your heart!
Support your community
If you’re passionate about making a positive impact in your community, why…