As temperatures drop and winter weather sets in, the Royal Borough of Greenwich is encouraging residents to stay safe, warm and well over the colder months. To help, we’ve pulled together some key advice and support to help you look after yourself and others this season.
Councillor Mariam Lolavar, Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care and Borough of Sanctuary said:
“As the weather gets colder, it’s more important than ever that we all take simple steps to stay well and look out for one another. Winter can be challenging, especially for older people and those with health conditions, but small actions like getting your flu jab, keeping warm, and checking in on neighbours can make a real difference.
“By supporting each other and making use of the help available across the borough, we can ensure everyone stays safe, healthy and connected throughout the season.”
Protect your health this winter
Winter brings a higher risk of illnesses such as flu and respiratory infections. You can reduce your chances of becoming unwell and help protect those around you by getting your flu vaccination.
The flu vaccine is the best protection against seasonal flu, and it is free for eligible groups, including:
- Older adults
- Pregnant women
- People with certain long-term health conditions
- Carers
- Young children (2–3 year olds and school-aged children)
Find out if you’re eligible and where to get vaccinated.
Support for older residents
Cold weather can be difficult for older people, especially those living alone or managing long-term health conditions. We offer a range of support such as:
Our Adult Social Care services for general enquiries relating to adults and older people. You can speak to an officer about adult social care support.
Live Well Greenwich’s Stay Warm Stay Safe provides extra services and support for residents who may be at risk during the cold weather.
If you’re worried about an older neighbour, friend or relative, checking in with a quick call or visit can make a big difference.
Support with cost of living
We understand the pressures many households are facing, from soaring bills and housing worries to the everyday costs.
That is why our Greenwich Supports programme brings together one-stop access to a wide range of help, including financial advice, housing support, discounted utility and transport options, family and childcare grants, free and low-cost activities, and much more.
If you're a pensioner or you're at risk of fuel poverty, you can get help towards your heating costs.
Road gritting
We run a winter gritting service to keep our pavements and roads safe in snowy and icy conditions. You can also help yourself to grit salt from any of the 164 salt bins across the borough.
As a priority, our gritters operate across six main highways – that's 62% of our total road network. We also cover one cycle route between Deptford and Birchmere, and footways in town centres and busy areas across the borough.
Our Winter Service Plan has a map to show your nearest gritting bin and to find out more about our gritting routes and prioritisation. The plan aims to keep highways across the borough open and safe in adverse weather conditions and is updated annually.
Residents are also encouraged to sign up to be a volunteer snow champion so that they can help to remove snow or ice in their area. Information on volunteering can be found here.
Do you know someone sleeping rough?
When the temperature falls to 0°c or below in London, the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) is activated to help protect people sleeping rough.
In Royal Greenwich, we open 20 warm spaces for people sleeping rough where they can access somewhere safe and warm to sleep and refreshments.
If you’re concerned about someone sleeping rough in Royal Greenwich, make an alert via www.streetlink.org.uk.
When you tell Streetlink about someone sleeping rough, they locate them and pass their details to us for homelessness support.
Make sure you have this information ready:
- the person's location
- the time you saw them
- a description of them