This January, the URC is helping to give “Blue Monday” a colourful makeover by supporting Warm Welcome Week, taking place from 20-26 January.
During Warm Welcome Week, we are joining the call and asking everyone to wear warm colours and get creative with pinks, oranges, reds, and purples to chase the January blues away and help shine a colourful light on the joy, positivity, friendship, and connection found in every Warm Welcome Space fuelled by human warmth.
The week, organised by Warm Welcome Spaces, starts on “Blue Monday”, a day in January often considered to be the most depressing day of the year, and the start of the week when most people begin to receive their December credit card statements.
For too many people, January is the coldest, loneliest and most challenging time of the year. As well as taking its toll on mental health, this dark month can be financially difficult too and not everybody knows that there are Warm Welcome Spaces near them where they can find community, connection, and belonging.
But this year, Warm Welcome Week is giving Blue Monday a makeover and we’re encouraging everyone to wear warm colours.
During the week, we want to:
- Raise awareness so people can find a Warm Welcome Space close to home.
- Encourage more community spaces to become Warm Welcome Spaces.
Across the UK, 7% of people experience chronic loneliness and 14.4 million people live in poverty. Loneliness can affect anyone and poverty can compound loneliness.
Get involved
You can find local warm spaces or register yours through the Warm Welcome Spaces online map. This makes it even easier for everyone to find a place of connection and belonging close to home.
You can also mark Warm Welcome Week however you want; just make it warm and colourful! Together, in Warm Welcome Week, we will create a surge of warmth and positivity in the coldest week of the coldest month.
Find out more about Warm Welcome Week.
Access the Warm Welcome Week’s free resources pack to promote the event in your church or community hub.
Share your warm space and pictures of you wearing your bright colours on social media using the hashtags #WarmWelcomeWeek #WarmWelcomeSpaces and don’t forget to tag the URC in your posts!
Images: Warm Welcome Spaces.