A community art project in Sidmouth will see colouring books and watercolour pencils distributed to isolated and lonely people in the town.

The art materials will be given to the St Vincent de Paul group, Twyford House and the organisers of the Memory Café, for them to pass on to people they already support.

The initiative was thought up by the Art Society of Sidmouth and is backed by Sid Valley Help.

The aim is to bring different local organisations together and give isolated people an opportunity to do something enjoyable and therapeutic.

Deirdre Hounsom from the Art Society is also a trustee of Sid Valley Help.

She said: "We're also giving them a packet of blank cards with envelopes, and suggested that maybe they'd like to draw their own design and use it as a Christmas card.

"We thought if there were some really good designs, we could use them as the Art Society 's Christmas card to our members this year.

"So it sort of brings in lots of different groups and societies operating in the town, and that's the whole idea."

More details of the scheme will be announced soon on Sidmouth Town Council's new Facebook page, Live Sidmouth.