Community kindness can be expressed in many different forms and local businesses have been quick to react to help others throughout the coronavirus crisis.

One group helped by Manx Telecom was Live at Home, the charity that supports people over the age of 50 to live independently in their own homes and alleviate loneliness.

With most of its members in the vulnerable over-70 category and also lacking internet access, Live at Home needed to find a way to make its services easily accessible by phone - and to enable its staff and volunteers to provide cover while working from their own homes rather than the office.

Manx Telecom’s engineers were able to quickly provide a Freephone number for Live at Home clients to call which could be forwarded through the system to Live at Home team members’ mobile phones.

Using a ’virtual switchboard’, Live at Home staff could also set up a ’hunt’ system so that calls would always be answered and change diversions as needed.

Both the Freephone number and virtual switchboard were provided to Live at Home by Manx Telecom for free.

Live at Home chief executive Jackie Bridson said Manx Telecom’s actions provided a lifeline to hundreds of vulnerable clients stuck in their homes.

’Manx Telecom was able to help us implement a solution very quickly at a time of confusion and great worry for our clients,’ said Mrs Bridson.

’Around 77% of our members do not have access to the internet and in the initial stages of the pandemic, a lot of information was only available online.

’The Freephone number meant that no-one had to worry about the cost of a call - which might have been a barrier for some of our clients - and we were able to quickly put a Telephone Befriender service into place to establish our members’ needs and help our members stay in touch.

’Having a telephone system that also enabled our staff and volunteers to work safely from home meant that we could provide the information our clients needed as well as the social contact that is so important for those who are feeling alone and isolated.’

Manx Telecom chief executive Gary Lamb said the company was pleased to have been able to help Live at Home stay connected to its clients at such a stressful time.

’Live at Home provides such a vital service to some of the most vulnerable in our community, it was clear we needed to help them find a workable solution as soon as possible.

’I am very proud that our engineers, who were facing their own challenges and restrictions around safe working and social distancing, were able to think creatively about this unexpected challenge and implement a system that met all the requirements so quickly and so efficiently.’