People who don’t speak English as a first language are being encouraged to register with a GP.

Cafe Lingo, based at Loch Promenade Methodist Church, Douglas, is working virtually during the latest lockdown to help those who need help with the English language.

Founded in 2016, the service usually runs free Saturday sessions at its Loch Promenade base.

Recently, the government announced that there is now a translation service on the Covid 111 emergency phone line.

Karen Norton of Cafe Lingo said: ’I think the translation service could be really good for this because people tend to access translation apps for the written word, and actually having a conversation in a specific language can be difficult for many people whose first language isn’t English.

’We have two Zoom sessions a week, one is a lesson that’s themed, such as visa tests. The other is a social conversation practice, when people can flag up concerns.

’It’s also been a point of contact for the volunteers as well as it can be very isolating during lockdown for people.’

Mrs Norton said the group has been sharing information via social media sites to help people. That included how to register for a GP.

She said: ’We’re aware that people who are in a foreign land can be a bit more vulnerable and so keep it upbeat, but sometimes we have to bite the bullet.

’We’re going to do a lesson or two on how to make medical appointments, how to ask things, how to answer things and focus on Covid as well.

’Hopefully, we can expand and go on to mental health and ways to cope [during the pandemic].’

Health Minister David Ashford also responded to a question from the Manx Independent regarding vaccines being administered to younger people who are not registered - and therefore not registered for a vaccine - with a GP and who do not have English as their first language.

He said: ’As we go down the cohorts, things change and we have already been looking at the younger cohorts.

’For instance, university students may not even be on-island at the point that their age group is called up.

’So they will have the ability to either have their first vaccination in the UK, and then if they’re on the island have their second one here because they’ll be able to produce a card to show that they’ve been vaccinated or vice-versa.

’In relation to other cohorts of young people, one of the things we’ve changed is that previously in the vaccination programme, you had to be registered as a full-time resident with a GP in order to be vaccinated.

’I had the [vaccination programme] team look at this and now you can be registered temporarily.

’As we go down the cohorts we will be using social media and campaigns to get the message out there that this does still apply to them, that they should still get the vaccine and that they will have the ability via their GP surgery to apply as a temporary patient to register as a temporary patients as they so wish.’

Mr Ashford added that he encouraged permanent residents to register for a GP.

Mrs Norton said that the success of Cafe Lingo is thanks to the volunteers.

’We’ve got a fantastic team of volunteers, of about 21, and most have been with us since the start five years ago.

’When we’re running at the prom, we have sessions with tables and do PowerPoint presentations and teach in about five-minute blocks, and then the students practise at the tables with the volunteers and then do another five-minute block. The volunteers are pivotal to the whole thing.’

Another part of Manx society which non-English speakers might not be aware of is the looming deadline of registering to vote in the general and local authority elections.

The deadline for registration on the Electoral Register is today [March 18].

Mrs Norton said: ’Some are [interested] and some aren’t, it’s a personal thing. ’We’re putting up [social media] posts at the moment about the elections and we will do a session on that. ’There was a lesson last week about politics.

’We had booked Andrew Bentley of Douglas Town Council to come and talk to Cafe Lingo, but obviously it’s been postponed.

’He was meant to come in, along with other candidates, to do a mini "hustings".

’We’ve had Bill Shimmins MHK and [President of Tynwald] Steve Rodan in to talk about Tynwald and raise general awareness with students.’