Connaught Care Launches Community ‘Cool Spaces’ Across Its Homes During The Heatwave
This month, every home in the Connaught Care Collection has opened its doors to local people seeking shelter from the heatwave. Visitors have been invited to relax in the homes’ air-conditioned communal spaces, enjoy complimentary refreshments, make use of their facilities and spend time getting to know residents.
The offer forms part of a new group-wide ‘Cool Space’ initiative introduced across Connaught Care’s six homes around the country. Since launching, the scheme has welcomed families with young children, community wardens, district nurses and older people struggling to stay cool at home.
Designed as a practical response to rising temperatures, the team hopes the Cool Spaces could offer a model for other communities across the country seeking ways to support vulnerable people during periods of extreme weather. The initiative has already proved popular with local visitors and was recently featured in a Good Morning Britain segment filmed at Waterhaven Place in Chichester.
The initiative was developed by Cheryl Tyson, Customer Relationship Manager at Waterhaven Place. She said: “When temperatures began to rise this summer, opening our doors to the community felt like a natural way to help. Everyone here at Waterhaven Place 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”.
The idea came after a Cheryl spoke to a community warden who praised the air-conditioned space, having visited many people struggling at home. Cheryl shared it on Facebook, and it was then rolled out across the group. The Cool Space initiative follows an exceptional run of hot weather across the UK. Temperatures of 35°C or higher were recorded in May, June and July 2026 – the first time this has happened across three consecutive months since records began.
Unfortunately, this extreme heat poses a particular risk to vulnerable people. The highest rates of heat-related mortality are recorded among people aged 85 and over, with significant numbers also seen among those living with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. With the Met Office warning that climate extremes are becoming the “new normal for the UK”, communities will increasingly have to consider how best to protect vulnerable people during periods of intense heat.
The Cool Space initiative is one practical response to that challenge. Inspired by “cooling centres” already used in the US and Canada – where air-conditioned libraries, community centres and other public buildings are opened during heatwaves – Connaught Care recognised that each of its homes could serve a similar purpose.
Reflecting on the initiative, Lynne Hudson, General Manager at Waterhaven Place, 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 Space goes some way towards achieving that goal.”
The Cool Space is not intended as a substitute for medical assistance, and anyone showing signs of heat exhaustion or heatstroke should follow NHS guidance and seek appropriate help.
