His Worship the Mayor Councillor John Skinner JP and the mayoress, his wife Mrs Gill Skinner, visited the Annie Gill training coffee bar unit at the Isle of Man College on Tuesday June 21.

There was a distinct taste of Italy on the menu, which the Mayor and Mayoress sampled during their visit after Joe Taggart (pictured below) presented them with a welcome card depicting a mayoral chain of office the students had created themselves.

The Annie Gill unit is where students with special needs take part in tailored programmes. It is named after Annie Gill CBE, a Manx woman who, as matron of the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh from 1907 to 1925, was Scotland's senior nurse.

She went on to preside over the Royal College of Nursing from 1927-29.

The Mayor and Mayoress with Luke Seed

The unit accommodates students who are 16 or over with profound and multiple learning difficulties and disabilities, severe learning difficulties, complex learning difficulties and multiple learning difficulties, ensuring they can be educated, no matter how complex their needs and can learn a range of skills.

Jason Campbell takes the orders for lunch

The unit features a flexible social enterprise area with a working café for work experience, training and socialising.