Across the UK, and I hope around the Northern Hemisphere where Winter rapidly now approaches, there are new initiatives springing up to keep people warm and connected this cold season. The official movement is often called, “Warm Spaces,” or, “Warm Places,” and the unofficial, less-regulated, grass-roots ‘warm’ movement is far wider. Official or unofficial, the goals are the same: to provide a safe warm space for people to stay warm, have a hot meal, and get topped up with warm feelings that come from heart-warming experiences.

Swanage has so many good organisations committed to these goals this Winter, and those organisations are working together to form a collaborative, co-operative approach. Working together, we hope to provide warm welcomes throughout the week.

Our own organisation has added a fresh dimension to our existing coffee mornings. We call the new event, “Soup and Cinema.” (A quick note, you need a licence to show films in public – and it’s expensive! You will not be allowed to promote the film nor charge – so best to take legal advice before trying this in your own community.)

Our Pilot session was full of warmth. A warm venue, a warm welcome, warm (OK, hot!) soups (gourmet!), and a family film that left us all with warm feelings – shared warm feelings. The only complaints were, “Where’s the popcorn?” and, “What about the Ice Cream?” lol.

Here’s my shameless bid for help with my research, borrowing from the Collective Moodscope Mind! I’d like some recommendations from you for films that give you warm-feelings. Our audience is mainly mature but could easily become inter-generational. The Pilot film was, “Up!” from Pixar – a film that deals very cautiously and compassionately with topics such as ageing, and bereavement, and living life to the full especially in our latter years.

After the success of our Pilot, it’ll be a Christmas Movie next. “The Polar Express,” and, “Elf,” have been recommended! I’m already thinking about the Popcorn and Ice Cream.

We could be doing this for months, and even all year long. For this reason, I’d love to hear your recommendations for any season, why you like the film you’ll recommend, and what it means to you.

Thanks in advance, and I trust the process of thinking about your favourite feel-good films will stir up warm-feelings in you today.

Lex

A Moodscope member