Community Support & Welcoming Spaces

Practical support when life becomes difficult

People come to UAA with many different starting points: an empty cupboard, a housing problem, difficulty filling in an online form, loneliness, loss of work or simply not knowing who to ask for help. Our Community Support service provides a welcoming first point of contact where people can talk through what is happening and take practical next steps.

Our community support includes

• UAA Community Food Larder.
• Saturday community lunches.
• Welcoming spaces and drop-in support.
• Welfare, housing and homelessness support.
• Digital access and help using computers.
• Advocacy, referrals and follow-up with partner organisations.
• Opportunities to volunteer, meet others and join UAA activities.

Welcoming Spaces

UAA’s Welcoming Spaces are open during the week for people who need a safe place to sit, have a hot drink or light refreshment, use a computer, speak to someone or access practical one-to-one help. They are especially valuable for people who are isolated, newly arrived, digitally excluded or unsure where to seek support.

For people going through homelessness or unstable accommodation, a regular welcoming space can also provide something simple but important: a place where they are known, can stay connected and can ask for help before a problem becomes even more serious.