Manx groups claim half of £100k government warm spaces fund

About half of a £100,000 community warm spaces fund on the Isle of Man has been granted since October, the Cabinet Office Minister has confirmed.

The government scheme was set up to offer people worried about heating bills warm places to visit in winter.

Jane Glover, who manages the space in Arbory, said it was an hour in which people "don't have the worry of having the heating on".

People also visited for the "social side" of making connections, she added.

The fund was announced as part of a package of support measures approved by Tynwald to help people with the rising cost of living, which included a six-month freeze on electricity prices.

Charities, clubs and associations can apply for up to £2,500 to spend on extending existing activities or the creation of new events.

The Manx Lottery Trust has overseen the approval of the grants on behalf of the government.

Jane Glover said she expected more people to use the warm spaces in January

Cabinet Office Minister Kate Lord-Brennan said funding had been approved for 30 applications, which targeted a range of age groups.

She said the feedback on the initiative had been "really positive", adding residents now had "more choices" of places to visit to keep warm and stop feelings of isolation.

The warm space hosted by Arbory and Rushen Commissioners at Arbory Parish Hall has received £2,500 from the fund.

Ms Glover said the sessions were split into a quieter session, which had so far seen a "steady trickle" of guests, and and an after-school club with games, crafts and story telling, which had proved very popular.

However, she said she expected to see more people using the space in January, following pressures on household budgets over the Christmas period.

But she said transport may be stopping some people from joining weekly sessions, so the team was looking "to see if we can help people get to the spaces" in future.