Swindon Hub Safe Space – for anyone who finds Christmas difficult.
December can feel heavy for a lot of people. That’s why Swindon Hub in the town centre is creating a quiet space for anyone who needs support over the festive period. Rather than focusing on celebrations, the Hub will be offering somewhere to sit, talk and find practical information throughout the month.
Information from Citizens Advice will be available, including guidance on managing energy use and keeping costs down. The Hub has also arranged an in-person advice session giving local residents the chance to speak to an advisor.
Swindon Hub Safe Space – Santa at the Hub
More details to come
The Hub will share details of support available across Swindon during Christmas week. This will cover such things as:
Hot meals at The Haven through Christmas Care …
… and the Christmas Day lunch offered by Christ Church Community Centre for people who would otherwise spend the day alone.
Alongside this core support, the Hub will host a small number of activities designed to encourage creativity and connection. These include:
Citizens’ Advice information on energy use and winter budgeting – Friday 5th December, 12.30 -3.30pm
Art workshop with Ipsum Care – Wednesday 3 December, 1–3pm
The Shared Stories Wellbeing Discussion Group – first session Saturday 6 December, 1–3pm (upstairs)
Emily Funnell, Outreach and Inclusion Coordinator at Swindon Hub, said ‘Not everyone feels festive in December. Some people are grieving, some are struggling with money, and some are lonely. We want the Hub to be a safe place to land. You don’t need a reason to come in. If you want company, information or simply somewhere to sit quietly for a while, you’ll be welcome.’
The Hub’s gallery space will also display artwork created by young people in foster care in Swindon. Thus offering a gentle reminder of how creativity can make a difficult month feel a little lighter.
NUTRITION TAKING THE FOREFRONT at the care show. Mary Merheim, nutritionist and entrepreneur, will be one of two keynote speakers at The Care Show Swindon taking place next month.
The Care Show Swindon is the South West’s premier health and social care expo. There, care industry professionals, suppliers, and service providers will gather to share their insights and expertise. This all-day event on Thursday January 29 brings information and knowledge to relevant businesses and members of the public.
Debut
The Care Show debuted in 2025. It saw strong attendance from the public and service providers across the south west. With co-owners, Hannah Edwards and Kevin Griffiths at the helm, The Care Show is coming back for its second event in the new year.
Mary Merheim will be the afternoon speaker at The Care Show 2026. Mary is a nutrition adviser to the elderly. She founded award-winning brand Grandbar Snacks – now supplied around the UK.
‘Having Mary as one of our speakers at The Care Show is exciting. It’s an honour to have an entrepreneur of her skill and calibre from her field,’ said Kevin Griffiths, co-owner of The Care Show.
NUTRITION TAKING THE FOREFRONT – Mary Merheim, who is announced as the afternoon speaker at The Care Show
Top tips
Mary will speak to attendees of The Care Show providing tips on how to spot early signs of malnutrition. And why people might lose interest in food as well as simple and practical ways of boosting nutrition in later life.
‘I’m so looking forward to attending The Care Show. As a nutrition adviser for the elderly, it’ll be great to speak to people affected by the consequences of appetite loss,’ said Mary.
Mary is also an author of nutrition guide, ‘Navigating Nutrition in Later Life’. Her father losing his appetite in later life, inspired her to create Grandbar Snacks. She designed the brand for those who are older with low appetite and wanting to eat healthier.
‘If a family member loses their interest in eating and drinking it can become a very emotional experience for both sides. My advice is always look at what they ARE wanting and work slowly to upgrade it somehow,’ said Mary. ‘I hope people at The Care Show will leave reassured that making small changes can have a big impact. It can be very upsetting watching someone fade away because they don’t feel like eating a meal.’
Experienced speaker
Mary has been a professional speaker for many years. And, as an entrepreneur, she leads workshops, offers courses and provides one-to-one support for families experiencing nutrition struggles with the elderly.
‘At The Care Show, we want to give attendees the opportunity to learn and realise what is out there in terms of support. It also allows service providers to collaborate and connect. To have Mary introduce her amazing Grandbar Snacks, the concept behind her brand and nutrition for the elderly is something we’re looking forward to. We can’t wait to welcome her in January,’ continued Kevin.
The Care Show Swindon takes place on Thursday 29th January 2026 at The DoubleTree by Hilton. To book your attendance for free, visit: https://www.thecareshow.co.uk/
I held the launch at Fika Coffee and Wine on Havelock Square. We had a full house and a fun time. But I’m been ill pretty much since then thus I’ve not got round to posting anything about it until now.
Front cover of the new book.
Below find a small number of photos from the launch:
Jeremy Holt and Angela Atkinson, author of Swindon in 50 More BuildingsAngela Atkinson with Brian CarterAngela Atkinson with Heidi Alexander
Where to buy
The great thing about local history books is that they make great gifts for any occasion.
You can obtain the book – they’re generally signed – from:
Me! There’s a widget on the right hand menu of the blog from which you can order a copy. You’ll also find the widget inside this page on the top of the blog.
Financial Planners Support Toy Appeal. Wroughton based Southby & Co. Financial Planning has donated £500 worth of toys to this year’s Swindon Christmas Toy Appeal. Thus they’re helping families across the town who may otherwise wake up to very little on Christmas morning.
The appeal runs from 10 November to 1 December. It brings together people, schools, churches and businesses across Swindon to collect brand new toys for children aged 0 to 17. Last year, 420 families took home:
Three main presents
A book
A soft toy …
… and a handful of stocking fillers for more than 830 children.
Financial Planners Support Toy Appeal – the Southby & Co. team dropping off £500 worth of toys for the Swindon Christmas Toy Appeal.
Ever increasing need
A 2024 report showed the need for such support is rising. Around 27.5 per cent of households in Swindon with children under 18 were living in poverty. Across the nation, 4.5 million children across the UK were living in relative poverty in 2023 to 2024. Numbers like this mean appeals such as this one are becoming more important every year.
Dave said ‘We’ve bought £500 worth of toys to donate this year because Christmas can be a real struggle for some families. If a few presents from us help a child wake up to something special on Christmas morning then it’s worth doing. We’re very aware of how lucky we are. And that there are many families who aren’t in that position, so this felt like a simple way for us to do our part.’
The team bought toys for a mix of ages, with a focus on older children who are often overlooked. Donations included Squishmallows, footballs and wireless headphones. Cristina, who recently joined the business as an apprentice, helped coordinate the collection and drop off as part of the team effort.
The firm has also been named as a finalist for Professional Adviser Firm of the Year – South West for the second year in a row. That places them among the top performing financial planning businesses in the region.
Dave has taken part in a range of fundraising challenges over the years. They’ve ranged from running events to long distance walks, often in fancy dress. He says these experiences have shown him how much difference even small acts of giving can make.
Local agencies, churches and schools refer families to the toy appeal.
Each receives a personalised voucher which they can redeem at venues across Swindon in the run up to Christmas. Volunteers will support sorting, packing and hosting days throughout early December.
Magical Debut Swindon Winter Fest. Wet weather did not deter thousands of visitors from turning out for Swindon Winter Fest on Saturday 22nd November. The positive feedback on the inaugural event has overwhelmed the organisers, amongst widespread calls for the new festival to return next week.
Magical Debut Swindon Winter Fest – small boy smiling with pink umbrella
A range of creative activities
Families particularly enjoyed the range of free creative activities on offer. They ranged from festive gingerbread decorating, to learning poi performance, to contributing lines to a collaborative poem.
Another highlight was the transformation of a vacant former Argos store at 19 Canal Walk. It became a dazzling display of soft, glowing lanterns, all handmade by local people.
Involved in creating the enchanting collaborative display were:
Local artists
Swindon school children
Care home residents
Community groups and families
They all got busy making lanterns in the form of toadstools, pine trees and stars. All of which transformed the vacant unit at the Brunel on Canal Walk into magical lantern event.
Hundreds of visitors crafted their own paper-bag luminaries. They then added them to the display, helping the lantern forest shine brighter throughout the day.
By popular request, organisers have announced that the Magical Lantern Forest will also open to visitors on:
‘It’s been wonderful to see local artists and the people of Swindon come together to make something so special. It’s such a joyful antidote to the pressures that people can feel at this time of year. We’ve learned a lot from the event. We’re looking forward to working with the community to build on its successes for next year. In the meantime, we can’t wait to welcome more people this weekend for a last chance to see the Magical Lantern Forest!’
Councillor Marina Strinkovsky, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Placemaking and Planning, added: ‘The town centre buzzed with people and activities last weekend. It was a pleasure to see people respond to the magical lantern trail and the beautiful creations of local artists.
A massive thanks to the Swindon Culture Collective and our other partners for putting on this wonderful event. I can’t wait to see what other brilliant stuff happens in 2026.
‘There are still plenty of things happening across Swindon in December so be sure to keep an eye out on social media to see what’s coming up.’
Families can also continue to join in with the panto-inspired Muddles’ gingerbread trail. Collect a free trail map from Swindon Hub before the 22 December and hunt out decorated characters hidden in local business windows.
Supported by Art’s Council England’s National Lottery Place Partnership fund, Winter Fest is a partnership between:
Swindon Culture Collective
Swindon Borough Council
Wyvern Theatre
Artsite
Gel Studios, and Prime Theatre, along with artists drawn from across the town.
