It can happen that the pawls get sticky and cleaning helps. Here's a couple of guides:
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Cold also makes it worse, but this covers much worse temperatures that the UK: <
(And while it's true that "flushing with solvent has not been a reliable substitute for full disassembly", if the freewheel isn't engaging at all, just drenching it with WD-40 can work as a short term fix until you get round to a proper job.)