The doors have opened at the Department of Education’s new town centre meeting point for young people.

Café Laare (which means ‘centre’ in Manx) is situated in the former Travel Shop in Lord Street, Douglas. Downstairs is a coffee bar that sells drinks and snacks. Coffee is freshly ground. The Isle of Man College is to produce much of the food for sale. Two iMac computers can be used.

The first floor is a lounge with a different ambience. Throughout the building, lighting levels can be adjusted to suit the mood and coloured LED lighting spills out from the ceilings. WiFi is available throughout the building. Young people’s artwork will eventually be on display.

Opening hours are:

Monday - Thursday 4pm-6pm

Friday 4pm-11pm

Saturday 11am-11pm

Sunday 1pm - 5pm

Cafe Laare opened without fanfare on Monday (18 January) and within two hours, 45 young people had called in to sample the facilities, said Leanne Newbold, Youth and Community Worker in charge.

Graham Cregeen MHK, a Member of the Department of Education, will formally declare open Café Laare on Saturday 30 January before invited guests including Chief Minister Tony Brown MHK, Education Minister Anne Craine MHK and His Worship the Mayor of Douglas, Councillor Michael Gelling JP, and an open day will follow, from 12 noon to 4pm. Members of the public are invited to look around the Youth Service’s new facility.

Mike Clague, Youth and Community Adviser, said the café 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,’ Mr Clague said.

‘Young people have told us, via our surveys, that a youth cafe in Douglas would be a facility they would welcome. ‘We have 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.’

Mr Clague said ‘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,’ Mr Clague said.

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.’

Voirrey said ‘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.’

The premises have been refurbished by Cedar Construction in conjunction with the Department of Education’s Works Division.

‘It is good to see it come to fruition and it will hopefully be just what the young people ordered,’ said Voirrey.