Chase the blues away with red, orange, purple & pink
The Owen Project is giving Blue Monday a colourful makeover as we
start the second ever Warm Welcome Week
This January the Owen Project is celebrating Warm Welcome Week, starting on ‘Blue
Monday’, and running from 19 to 25 January 2026. Warm Welcome Week is all about
raising awareness of Warm Welcome Spaces like ours so more people can find a place of
warmth and connection close to home.
January can be the coldest and loneliest month of the year. It’s the time of year when
Warm Welcome Spaces such as The Owen Project are needed most. Our Warm Welcome
Space is a lifeline to people in the Stoke area who are struggling to keep warm and those
feeling lonely or isolated.
In Warm Welcome Week, we’re taking ‘Blue Monday’ back by giving it a colourful
makeover. We’re asking everyone to wear warm colours and get creative with pinks,
oranges, reds, and purples to chase the blues away and raise awareness of Warm
Welcome Spaces.
We don’t want anyone to feel cold or lonely this winter, which is why we are working hard
to send a message that The Owen Project is waiting to welcome you in.
The Owen Project is a warm, welcoming, safe, and free space that is open to everyone.
We will be open every Tuesday 10am-12pm, followed by a writing group from 12pm to
2pm.
We have the potters' purlers & crafts that attend each week bringing their talent and
teaching skills. There is always something to get stuck into.
“We want more people to know about Warm Welcome Spaces like ours as they are a
lifeline to some. A weekly enjoyment and a great place to meet new friends.”
David Barclay, Warm Welcome Campaign Director, adds:
“We know demand for Warm Welcome Spaces will be high again this winter, not only
supporting people struggling to pay the bills but also playing a vital role in connecting
communities and giving people a place of belonging. The dark winter days and nights of
January can be extremely tough. We don’t want anyone to feel cold or alone this winter.”
“We’re asking everyone to join us in Warm Welcome Week, to raise awareness so more
people can find a place of belonging and connection close to home and by encouraging
more community spaces to become Warm Welcome Spaces. Everyone can get involved;
whether you simply pop on an old orange bobble hat or get creative with craft or
cooking, together we will chase away the blues. In Warm Welcome Week, we will create a
surge of warmth and positivity in the coldest week of the coldest month.”
You can find The Owen Project at The Terrace Inn, Penkhull New Road.
About Warm Welcome Week
Warm Welcome Week starts on Blue Monday and runs for seven days from Monday 19
January to Sunday, 25 January 2026.
Warm Welcome Week aims to raise awareness so people can find a Warm Welcome
Space close to home and encourage more community spaces to become Warm Welcome
Spaces. In Warm Welcome Week, we will shout from the rooftops, so everyone knows
how to find a place of belonging and connection. We will shine a light on the UK’s Warm
Welcome Spaces and show the remarkable difference they make to people’s lives. And
we’re asking even more spaces to come forward with an offer of a free warming cuppa by
opening their doors to everyone in their community.
About Warm Welcome
The Warm Welcome Campaign wants everyone in the UK to find a place of belonging and
reconnection at a Warm Welcome Space near their home. We have a bold ambition to
enable a more deeply connected society where we all have free access to welcoming
community spaces.
The Warm Welcome Campaign has a bold ambition to enable a more deeply connected
society where we all have free access to welcoming community spaces. We resource,
connect and champion a network of nearly 6,000 Warm Welcome Spaces and bring
together a growing coalition of local, regional, and national partners representing the
worlds of charity, faith, business, government, and philanthropy. By working together, we
can unlock the power of community spaces made by and for everyone, creating a thriving
network of hope and reconnection fuelled by human warmth.
Find your local Warm Welcome Space by visiting our online map:
https://www.warmwelcome.uk/find-a-space#map
www.warmwelcome.uk
info@warmwelcome.uk