ENTERING its third year Somerset Council’s Libraries service is relaunching its ‘Winter Coat Exchange’ scheme, designed to support the community by providing access to warm coats for anyone in need.

Libraries taking part this year are: Wellington, Minehead, Porlock, Williton, Yeovil, Street, Glastonbury, Langport, Burnham-on-Sea, Taunton, Shepton Mallet, Dulverton, Chard, and Ilminster.

Now in its third year, the scheme has been increasingly successful with 2,470 coats donated and 2,086 taken last winter. The excess donations were given to the charity RAFT – Refugee Aid From Taunton.

The organisation supports displaced people locally and further afield, and works with other local charities/groups supporting a variety of different causes.

The initiative was launched to help people stretch tight budgets that little bit further.

The scheme is simple: Take a coat without making a donation, or people can donate a coat without taking one. All donations must be of good quality and in a clean condition and coats of any shape or size, for adults or children are accepted.

Donors are asked to hand items directly to a member of staff at one of the participating libraries

Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, lead member for communities, HRA and Culture, said: “This scheme gets more successful every year and we know that both donors and those needing a warm coat are really positive. Colder and wet weather will soon be with us and this can be challenging for many, especially those who can’t afford to stay warm.

“Libraries become so much more than places for reading and studying, they become warm, welcoming, social spaces – real community hubs. I hope that people can donate good quality clean items that others can benefit from.”

For more information or to participate in the coat exchange scheme, visit a local participating library, on www.facebook.com or contact [email protected]