Cafe Laare, a new meeting place for young people, was officially opened by Mr Graham Cregeen MHK on Saturday 30th January.
The cafe, on the site of the former Travel Shop on Lord Street ('laare' means 'centre' in Manx gaelic), represents a new initiative by the Department of Education to fulfil elements of the Children's Plan.
Amongst the guests at the launch were Chief Minister Tony Brown MHK, Education Minister Anne Craine MHK, Home Affairs Minister Adrian Earnshaw MHK, Tourism and Leisure Minister, Martyn Quayle MHK, and the Mayor of Douglas, Councillor Michael Gelling JP.
Mr Cregeen thanked everyone involved in establishing Cafe Laare, from Minister Craine and the Department, to the teams of specialists responsible for designing, fitting and lighting the interior.
Cafe Laare opened informally on 18th January and immediately drew interest from young people. On the day of the official opening, members of the public were welcome to come and have a look around.
The ground floor of Cafe Laare holds a coffee and snack bar, much of the food for which will be supplied by the Isle of Man College, while the first floor, meanwhile, consists of a lounge area. There is Wi-Fi access throughout the building and adjustable lighting to suit different occasion.
Mike Clague, Youth and Community Adviser, said the cafe met a long-established need: "Our research has shown that a centrally located venue at which young people can meet friends and easily access advice and information, in comfortable surroundings, was needed.
"Young people have told us, via our surveys, that a youth cafe in Douglas would be a facility they would welcome.
"We looked at many properties in the town centre in recent years, and were delighted when the Department of Tourism and Leisure offered a lease on the old Travel Shop.
"The transformation inside the building is terrific, and offers young people a modern cafe designed for them, with colour schemes and furniture chosen by them. It has free WiFi, large screen TVs and game consoles, as well as the cafe furniture."
"The cafe is much more than a place for young people to relax and meet friends. It is staffed by youth workers who are able to offer advice and information, or point youngsters in the right direction to services that can assist them. Young people will also be employed, giving opportunities for work experience and individual development.
"Other agencies are already interested in using the cafe as an outlet to advertise their support for young people, or as a venue to meet individuals and groups.
Voirrey Kennaugh, Youth Officer, added, "Everyone involved with this new project is so enthusiastic about it and really looking forward to getting it up and running, hopefully smoothly although we might have to ask for some patience to begin with as we hone our new skills.
"This is a completely new venture for Youth Service and we are all learning lots. We’ve even had barista training to make sure we get the coffee right.
"There has been so much going on behind the scenes to get this venue open - many hours of planning and organising and lots of youth workers and young people involved all the way through the process. It is good to see it come to fruition and it will hopefully be just what the young people ordered".
Pictured: Mr Cregeen receiving his own branded mug from Leanne Newbold, the Youth and Community Worker in charge of Cafe Laare.
