A ‘PURPLE chair’ has been installed in Williton’s public library to offer a ‘beacon of safety’ for women and girls.

It is one of seven in libraries across Somerset in a scheme providing safe spaces for women and girls to find information about health and wellbeing.

They will also be able to access support and resources available to them in whatever circumstances they find themselves in, including:

Library staff have also put together a carefully chosen selection of books on women’s wellness.

The purple chairs and information packs can also be found in libraries in Bridgwater, Chard, Frome, Glastonbury, Taunton, and Yeovil. 

Somerset Council executive Cllr Adam Dance said: “We hope this space will provide an environment where women and girls can easily access health and wellbeing information and signposting in a familiar and comfortable setting.

“We hope the ‘Purple Chair’ initiative is something people talk about and share with family, friends, and within their communities.”

The scheme has been funded as part of a Home Office Safer Streets programme aimed at improving feelings of safety for women and girls in public spaces.

The project also highlights the Safer Somerset Partnership commitment to support women and girls to live free from violence and harassment.

The information packs accompanying the purple chairs offer information for everybody, irrespective of gender or identity.