Community cafe that helps with social isolation is hailed by Starbucks

A café in Ely that allows people to bring their dogs and socialise in a safe space has marked its second anniversary as part of a Starbucks community scheme.

The K9 café, led by Chris Kent and her team of volunteers, sees residents bring their dogs to support those living with physical and mental learning difficulties.

Since 2008 the café has acted as a friendly and safe space to socialise as well as seek support for range of challenging situations.

The Community Café Programme, run by Starbucks, launched in August 2017 in partnership with Neighbourly.

It connects each Community Café with a local Starbucks store team who work to facilitate the product donation, helping sustain their community space.

Shona Buchanan, community manager of Neighbourly, said: "The brilliant work carried out by the K9 Community Café in Ely is just one of many examples of how community cafés are working at the heart of their local communities to make a real difference.

"Their importance to so many people is undeniable, whether they focus on youth, social isolation, exclusion or homelessness.

"We hope our support and donations will go some way in making sure that cafés remain an integral part of the community for years to come."