The Co-op has partnered with the Warm Welcome Campaign to help increase the number of publicly available warm spaces around the UK ahead of winter, with the nation still in the grip of widespread fuel poverty.

As part of the activation, the community-orientated retailer has thrown its full weight behind the charity’s main mission, which is to ensure that everyone in the UK can access a public warm space within a 30-minute walk of where they live.

This latest push continues the Co-op’s association with the campaign, having become the first retailer to launch a £1m ‘warm spaces’ funding boost last year. It has now pledged to help all its members find their local warm space.

“As temperatures fall, it’s important to remember how vital a warm space is to provide warmth and connection to those facing hardship and struggling to heat their homes this winter,” Co-op head of community funding and partnerships, David Luckin said.

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“Co-op is proud to be a partner of Warm Welcome Spaces, making a 100% pledge for a Warm Welcome for All so everyone in the UK has free access to much needed welcoming community spaces that bring connection, friendship, and support as well as warmth,” he added.

Set up two years ago, the Warm Welcome Campaign has helped an average 120,000 people a week, and has played a pivotal role in helping set up 4,000 registered warm spaces throughout the country.

Warm Welcome campaign director David Barclay added: “We are delighted to be partnering with Co-op at this crucial moment in the Warm Welcome campaign’s development.

“We have a bold ambition to grow the number of Warm Welcome Spaces across the UK and to ensure that everyone has a space within 30 minutes’ walk of where they live. Co-op’s support will help us achieve that ambition.”