A care home is offering a cool and welcoming refuge during the heatwave.
Willowbrook View in Witchelstowe opened its doors to the community as part of a group-wide ‘Cool Space’ initiative led by Connaught Care Collection.
The scheme is now in place across all six Connaught homes and invites residents to relax in the home's air-conditioned communal areas, enjoy complimentary refreshments, and spend time with residents.
Susan Hughes, community engagement lead at Willowbrook View, said: "When temperatures began to rise this summer, opening our doors to the community felt like a natural way to help.
"Everyone here at the home has a relative, friend or neighbour who was struggling to stay safe and comfortable in the heat.
"That’s when we realised that we already had many of the things people need right here: air-conditioning, comfortable places to sit, plenty of cold drinks and a supportive community ready to welcome them."
Since launching, the scheme has welcomed families with young children, community wardens, district nurses and older people.
It offers a practical solution to increasingly frequent high temperatures, with Willowbrook View describing the project as a possible model for other communities to follow.
The UK recently experienced temperatures reaching 35°C or higher in May, June and July – the first time this has happened across three consecutive months since records began.
Extreme heat poses a significant danger to vulnerable groups, especially those aged 85 and over or living with dementia.
Mathan Balasubramaniyan, general manager at Willowbrook View, said: "Hotter summers and unpredictable weather extremes are something every community will have to adapt to in the years ahead.
"However, by working together and supporting vulnerable people through the heat, we believe communities can more than rise to that challenge.
"That will mean making better use of existing spaces and finding simple, practical ways to support those most at risk.
"We hope our Cool Spaces go some way towards achieving that goal."
The scheme is inspired by ‘cooling centres’ in the US and Canada, where public buildings are opened to the public during heatwaves.
Willowbrook View has stressed that the Cool Space is not a replacement for medical care.
Anyone displaying signs of heat exhaustion or heatstroke should follow NHS guidance and seek appropriate help.
The care home offers residential, dementia, respite and convalescence care.
For £6 get 6 months of UNLIMITED access to the Swindon Adver - £1 a month.
📱 Ad-free app
📰 Digital edition of the paper
🧩 Online puzzles
🎁 Reader Rewards with hundreds of deals and discounts
Save on an annual subscription and pay £26
Subscribe👉https://t.co/TRcoVgUC3b pic.twitter.com/ujSt2dLFWa— Swindon Advertiser (@swindonadver) July 21, 2026
Share