Community Warm Spaces Rise Across the UK Amid Cost-of-Living Pressures
Walworth Living Room in Southwark is a registered warm space and one of 50 such spaces operating in the borough this winter. These warm spaces, which provide warmth, meals, activities, and social connection, have surged across the UK since 2022. The Warm Welcome Campaign reports that the number of registered hubs increased from just over 4,000 in 2022-23 to almost 6,000 in 2025-26.
Though these spaces offer crucial support to help reduce cost-of-living pressures, organizers and critics alike acknowledge that they are no substitute for systemic poverty solutions. Pembroke House runs Walworth Living Room and prefers not to brand it as a warm bank, aiming instead to build a neighborhood where such spaces are no longer necessary in the long term.
Users of the warm space have shared their experiences: Fatma Mustafa, 48, attends three days a week, finding savings on energy and groceries alongside social support and a sense of belonging. Nazma Khanom, 52, diagnosed with cancer and reliant on a food bank during 2023-24, values the warmth and companionship it provides as she navigates financial strains, including challenges related to disability payments. She has also taken up knitting and uses the space for prayer. Margaret Regan, 81, mainly attends for companionship and social inclusion, emphasizing the importance of countering isolation without stigma.
Debate continues around the role of warm spaces, with critics like Sabine Goodwin describing them as stopgap measures. David Barclay, campaign director of the Warm Welcome Campaign, highlights the importance of these spaces for providing belonging and connection but stresses that they do not fully solve poverty. He underscores the need for systemic policy interventions to address underlying issues.
Contextual data from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation reveals that in winter 2025-26, 58% of households in the bottom 40% income bracket cut back on heating and 51% reduced spending on food, illustrating the significant financial hardships these warm spaces aim to alleviate.
