An online group for people to seek community support during lockdown has been created.

Emma Thompson set up Isle Help last week via Facebook. It is somewhere people can help each other and listen, regardless of their circumstances.

People can post to either request help or offer it.

So far, more than 460 people have joined.

Participants can offer spare time, objects, skills, or whatever the would like to help others.

Miss Thompson said: ’The reason I’ve done it is not purely just to provide a platform for people to help one another, it’s because of the way that people have been treating each other because of their views about the pandemic.

’The really sad thing is that we are all affected, and some people are being really hostile to each other because of their own experiences of Covid-19 might be different to somebody else.’

Miss Thompson said that she wanted to have a platform for people which would remind people to have compassion despite their differences.

’At the beginning [last year], I really thought that [the pandemic] would be something that would bring people together, and it’s actually dividing people more than ever.

’One person might be struggling with a tremendous amount of fear because they have a vulnerability which makes them very high-risk if they catch Covid-19.

’I know that people are angry towards others who think differently to them, but if they see someone in the group who is a single parent, for example, who has lost their job and how they’re struggling financially, then maybe people can start to see things from someone else’s perspective,’ she said.

She continued to say that no discussion or opinions are allowed, just positive posts.

She explained: ’It’s heartwarming to see that there’s nothing negative, as it’s not about opinions - even scientists and government ministers can’t agree in certain countries, there’s no need for people to agree. We’re all human.’

Miss Thompson said that everyone’s situation is equal during the pandemic and that she hopes the group will do what she set out for it to do, helping others in need.

’It’s so good for your own mental health and your own social values if you can help another human being and that’s what I’m seeing, it’s people being lifted by the opportunity to offer people help.’

You can find the group on Facebook by searching for Isle Help IoM.