A COST of living crisis summit is being held by Wellington Town Council this week to look at how the authority can support organisations which in turn will be supporting residents through the coming winter months.

The informal session on Friday will see representatives of community groups, schools, churches, and others gather round the same table to discuss their plans with councillors.

The initiative is a town council response to rising food, fuel, and energy bills which are expected to push already hard-up families into deeper problems and to hit even those who are considered ‘better-off’.

Only two weeks ago the Wellington Weekly reported on how the town’s Baptist Church was to open a ‘warm refuge’ from October for anybody who needed to keep warm and have a free meal.

The Mayor of Wellington, Cllr Mark Lithgow, said: “We saw through the Covid pandemic how the community came together to support each other, and we now find ourselves in a position where this needs to happen again.

“We have some fantastic local groups providing support to the more vulnerable members of our community. What we want to do as a town council is work with them to map that provision so that we can signpost people to the support they need, identify gaps, and think about how the challenges we are all going to face over the winter will impact on their abilities to support those who need it.

“There is no doubt that the numbers of people needing their support will increase.

“This meeting will also enable the town council to consider what it can do to support those groups.”

Any proposals which emerge from the crisis session are likely to go to town councillors for approval at their October meeting