This week is Warm Welcome Week; starting on ‘Blue Monday’ and running from Monday 19 January to Sunday 25 January 2026. The Warm Welcome Campaign will be taking ‘Blue Monday’ back by giving it a colourful makeover.
In Warm Welcome Week, we are asking everyone to wear warm colours and get creative with pinks, oranges, reds, and purples to chase the blues away this January. Warm Welcome Week will shine a colourful light on the joy, positivity, friendship, and connection found in every Warm Welcome Space fuelled by human warmth.
January is the coldest, loneliest, and most financially challenging time of the year. In recent years, the phrase ‘Blue Monday’ has been adopted to describe the month’s lowest point. As well as taking its toll on mental health, this long, dark month can be financially difficult, and many households face the stark choice between heating and eating.
Warm Welcome Spaces are a lifeline to people who are struggling to keep warm and to those who feel lonely and isolated. There are over 40 warm welcome spaces across Derby which have played host to hundreds of Derby residents over the winter who needed a warm drink, a warm meal or just some friendly conversation in a warm place. Those who visit a warm welcome hub can also receive cost of living advice, help with online applications, health and wellbeing support and much more for free.
The campaign is also encouraging pop-up community spaces to open during Warm Welcome Week, even if it’s only for a few hours, to offer a warm, welcoming, and safe space for anyone in their community, particularly those experiencing loneliness and those who cannot afford to heat their homes.
Councillor Sarah Chambers, Cabinet Member for Cost of Living, Equalities and Communities, said:
Warm Welcome Hubs play a vital role in supporting residents through what can be the toughest time of the year. January can feel long, cold and isolating, particularly for those facing financial pressures or loneliness. Warm Welcome Week is about more than keeping warm, it’s about connection, kindness and reminding people that they are not alone.
I would encourage anyone who needs support, or simply a friendly space to spend some time, to visit their local Warm Welcome Hub and take part in the colourful activities planned across the city.”
You can find out more about the Warm Welcome Hubs as well as a range of other cost of living support on the Community Action Derby Webpage.