Independent living charity aims to restructure

Live at Home has about 500 service users

A charity that provides independent living support will close this month due to financial pressures, with the aim of restructuring to provide scaled back services.

Live at Home has sent letters to its service users to inform them that it would be closing on 28 August due to a lack of funding.

The organisation, which has been running for 27 years and employs 10 staff, helps about 500 people to remain living in their own homes as well as tackling isolation.

Chairman David Gawne said the charity had been "struggling" since the coronavirus pandemic created a drop in the ability to raise money coupled with a rise in service demand, which had created "additional costs".

Those concerned about future support have been directed to the government's well being partnerships.

'Heartbreaking'

Mr Gawne said while the current structure was "unsustainable", there were "sufficient funds to meet all our financial liabilities" in the form of staff and redundancy pay if the charity was closed now.

He said although the decision was a "heartbreaking", there was "light at the end of the tunnel" and the restructured charity "could be looking" at creating five jobs.

Mr Gawne said the charity was "doing everything in our power to try to continue services" but "they may not be the same".

While the current running costs were £300,000 each year, Mr Gawne said it would be possible to run stripped back offering at a cost of £140,000.

The charity would be launching a public appeal to raise between £60,000 and £100,000, which he said he was "confident" that could be achieved.

Under the planned restructuring, the organisation would look to continue offering home visits, running lunch clubs, and offer initiatives such as Men in Sheds in Ramsey.

Mr Gawne said: "If we can weather the next year or so, we believe by working with the government and the wellbeing partnerships we have got a future."