Warm Welcome Launches for 2024

On Thursday 3rd October, the Warm Welcome Campaign launched for its third winter. 

Joined by hundreds of Warm Welcome Spaces from across the UK, the event featured reflections and expressions of support from Gordon Brown, The Barratt Foundation, National Grid, Co-op and Sky. We also heard from Fran Etherington at the Old Fire Station, Leeds, and Rev. Polly Kersys-Hull from Holy Trinity Church, Leytonstone on their Warm Welcome Spaces and the impact they have had on individuals in the local community. 

Warm Welcome’s exciting 100% pledge was launched at the event. The campaign’s research shows that there is a Warm Welcome Space within a 30 minute walk of two thirds of the UK population and that 18% of the population know how to find their local space. The Warm Welcome Campaign wants to see both of these numbers increase to 100% of the population.

David Barclay, Campaign Director for the Warm Welcome Campaign, shared the aims of the 100% pledge:

“We want everyone to find a place of connection and belonging close to home, that’s why we are launching the Warm Welcome for All 100% Pledge campaign ahead of another harsh winter. We want everyone to join us by making a personal 100% Pledge so everyone can find a Warm Welcome Space in their neighbourhood.”

Warm’s Welcome 100% Pledge Campaign aims to ensure that:

* Everyone knows how to find their local Warm Welcome Space, 100%

* There’s a Warm Welcome Space in every neighbourhood community, 100%

* Every Warm Welcome Space is accessible and inclusive to all, 100%

* Every Warm Welcome Space has the resources to stay open all year round, 100%

Anyone can sign up to the pledge here. 

Despite the fact that the ‘cost of living’ is no longer the hottest topic of the news, rising energy prices and the continuing impact of inflation means that thousands of people will struggle to make ends meet this winter. Buttle UK’s recent report shows that 81% of respondents identified as experiencing destitution and 70% said they cannot afford enough food for their family or adequate clothing to keep them warm.

The ‘Chain of Hope’ of Warm Welcome Spaces is just as important this winter as the previous two years. “What was started as a palliative in the cost of living crisis, is now a national institution”, Gordon Brown shared. “Everyone has a role to play. You can all do something to help as supporters or partners—whether as the provider of spaces, the volunteer at the spaces, or the funder of the spaces, and working together, we can drive out the worst of Britain by bringing out the best in Britain, unlocking the power of community, and creating a more deeply connected society, made by and for everyone.”

If you missed the event, you can watch it here.

The Warm Welcome Campaign resources, connects, and champions a network of more than 4,000 Warm Welcome Spaces and brings together a growing coalition of local, regional, and national partners representing the worlds of charity, faith, business, government, and philanthropy. You can find your local Warm Welcome Space by visiting our online map: https://www.warmwelcome.uk/find-a-space#map.