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New family centre 'more than just a library'

Catherine NicollIsle of Man
PA Media The hand of a young child wearing a blue and white stripped jumper placing a large blue children's building block on top of a stack of other blue, green and red blocks.PA Media
The new Manx Family Centre will be open from Tuesday to Saturday each week

A director of a special new community centre aimed at families on the Isle of Man said the revamped space would offer everything a former family library on the site did "and more".

The Manx Family Centre Association has taken over the building on Westmoreland Road in Douglas after the Family Library closed its doors in July over future funding concerns.

The Manx Family Centre is due to open its doors to the public with a special relaunch event from at 10:00 BST.

Director Jennie Thompson said support from the public and private sectors and individuals had been "unbelievable" and had made the made the venture possible.

MFC Staff and volunteers at the centre standing in a group in the centre. There are shelves holding books to the right, a table to the left, and an arch of colourful balloons behind them.MFC
The previous services offered at the library are set to continue alongside new initiatives

Ms Thompson said as well as picking up former library services, the new operators would work closely with a range of organisations on new initiatives with a strong emphasis on families.

She said the space already provided a "safe place", which was "an excellent base on which to build".

Ms Thompson said, having worked with the Family Library in the past, she knew its services "needed saving" and letters and messages from all sections of the community had demonstrated "the impact of the closure was tangible".

MFCA Jennie Thompson, who has grey hair tied back and is wearing a white top with an elaborate floral design in the front. She is standing next to a poster featuring a black and white photo of a young child alongside text.MFCA
Jennie Thompson said the new centre fitted in with the ethos of the previously created Isle of Man IBW Association

Ms Thompson said rather that creating a new charity, it was decided to change the name of the existing IBW Association to the Manx Family Community Association.

Originally set up in 2013, that charity was created to promote tolerance and understanding utilising arts, culture and sports.

She said while "books are important" the centre had already had inquiries about hosting activities ranging from yoga classes to French and Spanish lessons, which was why the new name - Manx Family Centre - was appropriate as it "says what we do, rather than it just saying a library".

It would be run by staff from the former Family Library alongside a team of volunteers, with mobile library services expanded to include the live at homes schemes and potential partnerships with schools and heritage organisations.

Future activities would also incorporate an initiative targeting suicide rates on the island, particularly among young men.

A grey stone built building with a white door that has large glass panels in it and a white metal railing leading up to it. There is a white sign featuring colourful dots and the Manx Family Association logo on the side of the building.
The building housing the centre is owned by the government

Ms Thompson said the association was "starting on a completely clean sheet", and had had "extremely constructive meetings" with the Treasury and the Department of Education, Sport and Culture about potential future support.

The centre would also be available for hire by other groups and businesses on Sundays and Mondays as a revenue stream to support its operations.

"This is long term - this isn't a short fix, this isn't just a band-aid - we're here for good," she added.

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