The power of books brings Portsmouth residents together during lockdown

With people still under the stay at home directive and almost four million people having to still shield, many of the city’s residents – particularly those who live alone – are struggling with the mental isolation of lockdown.

The Portsmouth Reading Friends programme hopes to connect people through the power of books by providing a virtual platform for people who enjoy talking about books and would like to make new friends in lockdown.

The Council’s deputy leader Cllr Steve Pitt said: ‘Reaching out to people who are isolated or just missing companionship is very important right now.

‘Reading Friends is doing just that, bringing people together to read, share stories, meet new friends and have fun. We will be using reading – whether books, magazines, newspapers, or anything else to get people talking.’

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The initiative will be coordinated by the Council’s Library Service which will arrange for reading friends to meet on Zoom in small groups or talk over the phone one-to-one. For further details call 023 9268 8259.