PEOPLE on low incomes on Okehampton are being offered a free local church course that teaches the tricks of living well for less.

The New Life Church on New Road has trained with charity Christians Against Poverty (CAP) to offer the free life skills course.

It is being funded by Okehampton United Charities.

Running for eight weeks, the course aims to give people the confidence and decision-making skills to live well, look after themselves and feel positive, even on a low income.

CAP life skills manager Linda Mustoe said the course would be ‘a series of lovely, relaxed sessions’.

‘We’ll be looking at lifting the pressure to spend and sharing some great practical tips to help us take control of our money and make it go further,’ she said.

‘We’ll also be doing a big section on making good food so we can help our families stay healthy on a budget. Towards the end of the course, we’ll spend some time on helping relationships – as these have had a big impact on how we treat our finances.

She added: ‘Most of all, it will be time to share what works and what doesn’t, both as a group and one-to-one, and give each other encouragement to do things better. It will be some of those key things you wished they had taught you at school, but didn’t.’

Christians Against Poverty is a charity that gives free help to everyone regardless of age, gender, faith or background.

Starting 23 years ago, it first offered debt counselling and now offers a range of help to tens of thousands of people in hardship across the UK every year.