National Grid and Warm Welcome partner to support community spaces tackling loneliness and poverty

The Warm Welcome Campaign is delighted to announce that National Grid is deepening its support for Warm Welcome Spaces with a new three-year funding commitment worth £240,000. This new fund extends the existing £160,000 partnership started in 2024 that will help thousands of spaces across England and Wales continue to offer warmth, connection, and a sense of belonging to anyone who needs it.

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To celebrate the partnership, National Grid volunteers are giving their time to support Warm Welcome Spaces across the country, including in London (Newham), Birmingham, Coventry, Barnstaple, Coalville, and Cardiff. The National Grid volunteers are supporting local spaces in Warm Welcome Week.

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Through this partnership, National Grid becomes the founding funder of the Warm Welcome Campaign’s new Spaces Support Fund, a dedicated pot of funding to help Warm Welcome Spaces cover essentials like heating, lighting, and rent. Rising costs mean many spaces are struggling to keep their doors open, so this fund will make a real difference.

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National Grid’s support will also enable our Champion Spaces programme, backing 20 spaces to share best practice and amplify grassroots voices in shaping our national work. These Champions will help us learn more about what communities need and ensure Warm Welcome Spaces remain hubs of warmth and hope.

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Richard Allcock, Head of Social Impact at National Grid, said:

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“We’re delighted to extend our partnership with the Warm Welcome Campaign, responding to the needs of community spaces and focusing support where it’s most needed. We look forward to seeing how this funding enables spaces to deliver more for local people and helps them secure further funding.”

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Welcoming the partnership with National Grid, David Barclay, Warm Welcome Campaign Director, added:
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“National Grid’s generous partnership with the Warm Welcome Campaign will be game-changing, helping us to realise our vision for everyone to find a place of belonging and reconnection at a Warm Welcome Space close to home. We have already seen the transformational impact National Grid has had on these community spaces through funding, helping vulnerable guests, and their staff team adding much-needed volunteering support to Warm Welcome Spaces. By supporting our champions programme and as the founding funder of our Spaces Support Fund, National Grid can help even more Warm Welcome Spaces to thrive as hubs of warmth, belonging, and connection.”

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Warm Welcome Spaces are volunteer-led and rely on donations to survive. Over the past year, the network of 6,000 spaces hosted 2.8 million visitors, offering a lifeline to people facing loneliness or financial hardship. With National Grid’s renewed commitment, we can help even more spaces thrive.

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