LIFELINES

Community stores help mental health, loneliness and literacy

- BY DAN VEVERS

THE nation's bookshops have been hailed a haven for people suffering from mental health issues and a place for kids to discover the joy of reading.

Next Saturday, October 11, marks Bookshop Day in the UK and Ireland and it comes as Scotland faces both a mental health crisis and falling child literacy rates.

But Scotland's growing footprint of independent bookshops and chains is filling a gap in communities and helping young and old alike find joy in reading, shop owners say.

Jennifer Batchelor, founder of Chapters of Thornhill in Dumfries-shire, has been amazed at how busy her store is since opening last December.