Dave Thomas: Make sure you stay safe this winter

As the cold weather sets in, it’s time to think about how we can keep ourselves safe and well over the winter months.

One of the best ways to protect ourselves is to make sure we’re up to date with our vaccinations. Vaccinations help prevent serious illnesses and reduce the spread of diseases, which circulate more easily at this time of year.

The Paignton Community Hub has this month started offering vaccinations on selected days. If you’re aged over 75, or live with a long-term health condition, you’re eligible. Appointments can be booked by calling 119, and many pharmacies across Torbay are also offering walk-in vaccination sessions – making it easy to get protected.

Alongside looking after our health, we’re also helping people to stay warm. I’m pleased that once again, we’re providing funding for community organisations to host warm spaces for residents this winter. We’ve set aside more than £30,000 for this important project, and groups can apply for up to £2,500 each to help with the costs of running a warm space.

Warm spaces are exactly that – friendly, welcoming places around the Bay where people can keep warm and enjoy a hot drink on a cold day. They might be in a community centre, library, or church hall. Some will also offer food, activities, or signposting to other sources of support.

People use warm spaces for all sorts of reasons – some may be struggling with heating costs, while others simply want a bit of company. There’s no judgement – just a friendly welcome. To make sure every venue is inclusive, organisations applying for funding must sign up to our Warm Spaces Charter. This is their pledge to welcome everyone, keep them safe, and protect their privacy.

Once applications open, details will be available on our Community Funding page, with updates also shared across our social media channels. I’d encourage any community group that can offer a space to get involved – these venues make a real difference.

Of course, winter can be an expensive time for many households, especially with rising energy bills. Many people rely on the Government’s winter fuel payments to help with heating costs. Unfortunately, there has recently been a rise in scam text messages pretending to come from the Department for Work and Pensions.

Fraudsters are contacting people asking for their bank details, claiming they need them to pay the winter fuel payment directly into their account. Please be aware – this is a scam. The DWP will never ask for bank details via text message. If you have older relatives, friends, or neighbours, please warn them. If you receive a suspicious message, forward it free to 7726, then delete it straight away. By staying alert, we can help stop criminals taking advantage of others.

While we focus on keeping safe and well, there’s also plenty to be optimistic about across Torbay. Our work to drive regeneration and renewal continues, and I’m proud to share the latest progress in Torquay’s journey of revitalisation through the Government’s Towns Fund and Plan for Neighbourhoods programme.

This initiative is designed to help communities like ours focus investment where it will have the greatest impact on people’s daily lives. The fund gives us the tools to make our towns cleaner, safer, and more vibrant, while strengthening pride of place and local opportunity.

Following public engagement in August, the Torquay Place Leadership Board identified four key themes to guide the first four years of investment. These focus on improving our town centre, reducing crime and increasing safety, enhancing neighbourhoods and affordable housing, and supporting work and skills development.

To help shape this plan, over the past five weeks Torbay Communities has brought together 54 voices from across our community, voluntary sector, businesses, and public services. These thoughtful and engaging workshops have been all about listening closely to local concerns, reviewing the many ideas submitted by residents, and ensuring the final priorities truly reflect what matters most to Torquay’s residents.

Together, we’ve explored what’s already in motion, what’s possible, and where we can go further. We’ve looked at ongoing and planned projects, the resources available to deliver them, and the areas where more collaboration will make the greatest difference. Thanks to this shared effort, we reopened the call for proposals – and the response was inspiring. Submissions increased from 51 to 63, showing just how much energy, creativity, and commitment exists within our communities.

While not every idea can be funded straight away, the projects finally selected will align with those four key priorities – delivering visible, meaningful improvements that residents will see and feel, both in the town centre and across our neighbourhoods.

I want to thank everyone who has taken part so far – whether through a workshop, a survey, or a local conversation. Your ideas and enthusiasm are shaping the next chapter of Torquay’s regeneration story. Together, we’re building stronger, safer, and more connected neighbourhoods – places we can all be proud to call home. By continuing to listen, collaborate, and care for one another, we can make Torbay an even better place for us all.