The Warm Welcome Campaign
“This crisis goes far beyond politics; this is a moral issue - our responsibilities to our neighbours and in particular to those who have the least and whose needs are the greatest” - Gordon Brown
The Crisis
Seven million households experienced fuel poverty in the winter of 2022-23, with people with disabilities, elderly people, children, people from ethnic minorities, and low-income households amongst the most affected groups.
Our Mission
The Warm Welcome Campaign is the community response to the cost-of-living crisis. Our mission is to equip and support thousands of free, warm, and welcoming spaces in communities across the UK to make sure that nobody is left to suffer on their own during winter.
The Campaign
Since launching:
4,200 Spaces registered on our website: www.warmwelcome.uk
2,400,000+ Total visits between September and February
150,000+ visits to Warm Welcome spaces per week
There have been 5,000+ downloads of our resources
We were chosen as the Daily Mirror's 2022 Christmas Campaign
Our Spaces
“Warm Welcome Spaces are a beacon of warmth and friendship” - Paula Stringer, CAP
Churches, libraries, community organisations, businesses, schools and other faith groups can all register as a Warm Welcome Space through the website by entering their Space's address, opening times, facilities and any other relevant information they might want guests to know. Once registered, Spaces get access to our Warm Welcome resources, comprised of carefully curated guidelines, toolkits, and checklists, on all things safety, fundraising, activities, volunteer recruitment and more! Warm Welcome Spaces come in all different shapes and sizes, from a homework club in a local church on a Tuesday, to an over 65s community centre drop-in on a Wednesday and library co-working desk open all weekend. Some are open for an hour a week, others from 9-5pm everyday. All spaces in the Warm Welcome map are free, warm, welcoming and safe.
Our map, and the Warm Welcome campaign, will return in Autumn 2023
Continuing through the Summer
But our work is not over - Warm Welcomes invites communities to continue offering support through the Summer. You can read more about these efforts here and listen to our webinar.
Our Partners
The Warm Welcome Campaign is made up over 30 Partners including churches, libraries, community organisations, businesses, schools, and other faith groups and organisations. Our Partners meet on a weekly basis in our steering group meetings where we discuss all things campaign-related, including key updates, strategies moving forwards and new ways to support Spaces. Most recently, we have launched our "Warm Welcome Webinar Series", starting in November to help resource those running Warm Welcome Spaces with top tips & practical advice from our experienced Partners. Topics will include fundraising for your Space, mental health, making your Space welcoming, running a family-friendly space & more!
To find out more information, please visit warmwelcome.uk