LIVING HOPE CHURCH INVESTS IN WARM SPACE ACTIVITIES FOR NORTH DOUGLAS COMMUNITIES

The Living Hope congregation at St Joseph’s Church in Willaston will be facilitating several warm space activities for the local community throughout winter.

The community church, which has multiple congregations across the Isle of Man, has received a £650 grant from the Trust to facilitate several warm space activities at its St Joseph church congregation in Douglas. The activities, which are of both faith and non-faith, include craft time, inspirational talks, and wellbeing sessions, with refreshments.

The grant will enable the church to develop these warm space sessions further, including extending activity times, and offering attendees a free warm lunch. A permanent refreshment area is also planned to be developed in the new year, to encourage further community activities, including a parent and toddler group.

The church has also recently been selected to host a ‘community fridge’, a food waste initiative in partnership with local food retailers, allotments, and charities. The fridge which promotes food waste reduction, whilst acting as a community food resource for those in need, will be open during the church’s Thursday warm space sessions.

Madeleine Porter, Member of the Living Hope Church, said: ‘The church is delighted to have received funding from the Manx Lottery Trust to support our Thursday warm space sessions at St Joseph’s church. Our facilities at present are very basic, and with the imminent winter months, we want to create a regular warm space for the community.

‘It would be wonderful to cater for more of the community, and we hope with the additional funding and the introduction of the ‘community fridge’, that we will welcome many new faces through our doors throughout the winter period and beyond.’

Manx Lottery Trust Chairman, Sarah Kelly, added: ‘The Trust is delighted to support the Living Hope congregation at St Joseph’s with their warm spaces’ initiative. We hope funding will enable the church to develop upon their existing social activities, whilst supporting those most in need.’

The church will also be hosting a festive lunch on Christmas Day, and they would like to welcome anyone who might be spending it on their own, to join. Please call 493500 to book, transport is available if required.

This grant is from the Manx Lottery Trust’s Community Warm Spaces Fund, which is funded by the Isle of Man Government. To find out more, head to: www.mlt.org.im/grant-programmes/