Live at Home will be offering a warm space this winter, having received a grant from Manx Lottery Trust under the warm spaces initiative.

The grant of £2,450 will allow the charity to open the Salmon Lake Centre in Laxey for people to gather and keep warm every Thursday from 10am to 3pm.

The weekly session has changed from Fridays to Thursdays.

Live at Home will also be offering tea, coffee and biscuits throughout the day, plus a light lunch of soup and sandwiches.

As well as refreshments, there will also be entertainment for attendees including guest speakers, games, quizzes and information sessions.

For people who need transport to attend, a minibus will be running from the bus stop by Mines Road/New Road in Laxey throughout the day.

Established in 1998, Live at Home aims to ‘improve the quality of life and eliminate isolation among older people across the Isle of Man’.

The staff and volunteers offer advice and support to members on how they might be able to live happily at home for as long as they can.

Karen Winter, chief executive of Live at Home, said: ‘Winter has always been a particularly difficult time for the older generations because of the cold, dark days, and now the cost of living crisis.

‘These sessions will allow vulnerable people to feel comfortable in a warm and friendly environment, have a warm meal and drinks, as well as socialise among like-minded people.

‘We’re extremely grateful for the funding support from the Trust, which will help us continue to combat loneliness and isolation in elderly people, during what will be a tough period for many.’

Stephen Turner, chairman of Manx Lottery Trust, said: ‘Live at Home offers a vital service for so many people, and we hope these sessions funded by the Community Warm Spaces Fund will make this time of year a little less difficult for the elderly community.’

Kate Lord-Brennan, Minister for the Cabinet Office, recently told the Courier: ‘It’s heartening to see that it is adding to the support community groups, charities and local authorities already provide.

‘It’s only a small part of the measures we have put in place to help people with the cost of living, it’s not the whole answer but it is a softer, more social approach.’

This grant is from the Manx Lottery Trust’s Community Warm Spaces Fund, which under the warm spaces initiative is offering up to £2,500 from a total pot of £50,000 for charities, groups or organisations to host a regular warm space.

You can find a list of the warm spaces being offered on the government’s website.