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From road gritting, keeping well to warm welcomes

As the nights get darker and the weather colder, here is everything you need to get winter ready.

Warm Welcomes

Warm Welcomes are returning this winter to provide safe, welcoming, and warm spaces for all from 1 November until 31 March 2026. Run in partnership with community groups in ßÙßÇÂþ»­, over 80 Warm Welcome venues will be open for everyone to enjoy a hot drink, get warm and connect with their local community.

Many locations will offer additional services, such as free energy advice, social activities and more. For a full list of Warm Welcomes, visit our Warm Welcome webpage. This includes different locations across ßÙßÇÂþ»­, opening times, services available and accessibility information.

Keeping ßÙßÇÂþ»­’s roads safe this winter

ßÙßÇÂþ»­’s gritter drivers are available 24/7 to help keep residents moving during the colder months.

Our 39 state-of-the art gritting vehicles, named by ßÙßÇÂþ»­ school children, are ready to grit the county’s busiest routes before and during severe weather, using the 10,000 tonnes of salt stored at our four ßÙßÇÂþ»­ depots. Two new mini gritters are also ready to grit roads that are harder to access with larger vehicles.

1,000 grit bins have also been filled across the county at locations that are not on the priority gritting routes but may have:

• difficult road junctions
• slopes
• acute bends
• a large numbers of pedestrians

Gritting typically takes place from October and until the end of March, depending on weather conditions. Last year, 1,935 individual routes were treated.

Sign up today to our . You can also follow ßÙßÇÂþ»­ Highways on social media to keep up to date on progress.

Winter health

The has lots of information and tips on how to stay well and healthy during the cold weather, protecting yourself, your family and the NHS.

It includes information about which health service to use when, preventing winter bugs and illnesses, how your local pharmacy can help when you’re unwell, along with helpful information about local support to keep warm.

One of the most important things you can do to stay well, is to get the winter vaccinations you are eligible for.

Free Flu vaccines are available for:

• everyone aged 65 and over
• under 65s in clinical risk groups
• care home residents and carers
• close contacts of those who are immunosuppressed
• frontline health and social care workers
• children and pregnant women

This year the flu vaccine for 2 to 3 year olds (a safe and painless nasal spray), can be administered by a pharmacist that offers the service, as well as your GP, making it easier for busy parents to get the vaccine done.

are available to adults aged 75 and over, older adult care home residents, and people who are immunosuppressed.