A COMMUNITY group in Knightswood has set up a lunch club and other activities for residents who can’t afford to go to cafes and restaurants to meet friends.

Knightswood Community Spirit (KCS) set up a session every Monday from 1-4pm at the Albion Club in Yoker in a bid to tackle the risk of isolation created by the ban on meeting others in household settings across Glasgow.

Meetings in pubs, restaurants and cafes are still permitted, but volunteer Kat Boyle says that people on low incomes are worried they may become isolated because they can’t afford the costs involved.

KCS has been running for several years, but was only able to return to its base at the Albion Club on Halley Street towards the end of July.

Now, many regulars have told how they fear becoming isolated once again as fears grow of a second wave of Covid-19.

The sessions include free soup and sandwiches, plus bingo and a raffle at a minimal cost.

Any money raised will be used to buy resources to keep the club going.

Community volunteer Kat Boyle said: “The club is aimed at bringing people together and keeping the community spirit up.

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“During lockdown we were closed, but continued to offer other services such as hot meals and food parcels in the community.

“We have worked hard to make it as safe as possible, and many of the people who come have told us it’s their only outing during the week.

“The recent lockdown announcement that we can no longer go into one another’s homes has caused mixed signals, as people don’t know what they can and cannot do now.

“Our elderly and vulnerable users wouldn’t go out for a walk, or sit in the park in the cold, so they either need to go to a cafe to see people, or else stay home.

“Many cannot afford to go to a cafe, and live alone, so they would see no-one in a day.

“Their mental health has already suffered enough, so we hope this group will offer them an opportunity to continue to socialise.”

The group is also operating a track and trace system to ensure everyone who accesses the venue on Halley Street, Yoker is able to be contacted in the event of a coronavirus outbreak.

Local councillor, Michael Cullen, will also be dropping into the Monday meetings to allow constituents from his ward to raise any concerns they have.