Save the Children is set to ban cold calling following the death of Olive Cooke in May.

The charity, which was one of a number of household names that were criticised for contacting the pensioner following her death, will publish new guidelines on Wednesday. 

Justin Forsyth, chief executive of Save the Children, told the Mail on Sunday that the relationship between the charity and its donors “has to improve”.

“We have to get the balance right between raising much-needed money with making sure members of the public, who want to help us save lives and give every child the chance to learn, feel respected and valued,” he said.

“Our passionate and dedicated supporters are the beating heart of our organisation and we recognise that the way we work with them has to improve,” he added.

Forsyth said the charity was working with the Fundraising Standards Board, and the Institute of Fundraising to draw up a review of fundraising practices that could lead to greater penalties for charities that break the rules.

Cooke is thought to have committed suicide in Bristol two months ago after previously revealing to a local newspaper that she received up to 260 fundraising letters a month and so many fundraising phone calls that she no longer picked up the phone to friends and family.

She received letters from Save the Children, Amnesty International, the Alzheimer’s Society, Breast Cancer Care, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and Mind, among others.

Last week, Friends of the Earth announced it had written to every registered supporter in light of Cooke’s death to ask if they were happy with the way the charity communicated with them.

The letter which was signed by interim chief executive Joe Jenkins, received “hundreds of positive responses”, the charity said.