Library runs coffee mornings to tackle isolation

Weekly coffee mornings at a library in the Isle of Man capital aim to "get people in who feel a bit isolated," a librarian has said.

Douglas City Library, on Duke Street, is running Winter Warmer sessions to encourage people to be social. They are held each Friday between 09:00 GMT and midday.

The move is part of a wider scheme across the British Isles called the Warm Welcome campaign, which aims to provide local warm spaces.

Librarian at the facility, Jan McCartney, said: "Libraries nowadays are more than just books, they are community hubs - they are somewhere in a community where everyone is welcome."

She explained: "The idea is to get people in who may feel a bit lonely, a bit isolated, as we know January is a really tough month because the weather is so awful."

She said the library provided a "hugely important" service, and for those who were "wanting to save on their heating, it is a warm, bright space".

The sessions provided the opportunity for people to "connect with each other," she added but, "equally, for people who don't want to chat but want to be in a social space, we have lots of comfy chairs dotted around".

The facility, which will run the sessions until Easter, was also taking part in "brew Monday" on 19 January, often referred to as blue Monday.

Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.