NEW socially-distanced community coffee mornings launched in Maldon this week will be able to continue, despite the latest Covid-19 restrictions.

The first Safe Space coffee morning - put on to help provide some social contact for those who may have felt isolated or trapped in lockdown - was held in the Town Hall, Market Hill, yesterday (Wednesday, 9 September) just hours after the new 'rule of six' for social gatherings was announced. Under the new rules, social gatherings of more than six people indoors or outdoors will be illegal from Monday (14 September).

However, the new coffee sessions, run on Wednesday mornings by Maldon and District Community Volunteer Service (CVS) will not be affected, as charities are exempt. The events have full Covid-19 risk measures in place to create a safer environment for people who may have anxiety or concern about using other coffee shops and cafes.

Sarah Troop, director at Maldon CVS, said: "The first session went really well, the measures put in place to maintain social distancing and control virus transmission worked really well and people were pleased to be able to chat face-to-face and catch up with friends.

"For some it had been a long time since they had that contact and so it really meant something.

"We have been watching the Government announcements with interest to ensure we can continue to offer this opportunity to the community and are pleased to say we can continue to take bookings for the coming weeks."

Attendance at the sessions must be pre-booked by calling 01621 851891 or emailing Catherine at Maldon CVS here.

Full details of what to expect at the coffee mornings can be found online at the Maldon CVS website.