A Coat If You Need It

Douglas City Council leader Devon Watson has highlighted a simple but powerful bit of community kindness that’s been quietly running through the colder months.

Sharing a video online, Mr Watson revealed the council has been operating a coat-sharing programme throughout autumn and winter, inviting people to either leave a coat or take one, no questions asked.

‘The community has really pulled together to make this a success,’ he said.

The scheme is based at Douglas City Library, where a coat rail has been set up for anyone who needs it, or anyone who has a spare warm coat to pass on.

We all know how cold, and tough winter can get, so Gef feels this is very special.

‘If you want to participate, come down to Douglas City Library,’ Mr Watson added.

The video shows the rail stocked with coats of all shapes and sizes, ready to help someone stay warm during the cold snap (seriously, when are we going to see a bit of sun?).

It’s also another reminder that the city’s library is now about much more than just books, and as Devon puts it, it’s a site of ‘community solidarity’.