Get fit and healthy at your local library in time for World Heart Day!

Libraries across Leicestershire are adapting to the changing lifestyles of local communities in a bid to help people get fit and healthy.

The way that we live our lives has changed.  The amount of physical activity we do has reduced, yet we are eating more and as a consequence are putting on more weight which can pose significant risks to our health.

It is important now more than ever before that people start taking care of their health and fitness.

Leicestershire County Council has introduced a series of initiatives at its libraries to help people get and stay healthy including:

• Books and information on healthy living at all libraries and the county’s 16 larger libraries now have a dedicated health section with books, DVDs, leaflets and posters.
• Trained library staff to show people where they can go for support and information – including where to find groups to help keep healthy, such as walking and cycling clubs, in their local area.
• One-to-one health checks with a health worker from a local clinic at some libraries.
• Dedicated web pages including a wealth of information such as contacts for respected health professionals and organisations. People can also use the NHS Choose and Book Service to choose their hospital or clinic and book their first appointment.

Dr Tim Davies, Deputy Director of Public Health for Leicestershire said: “Our lifestyles are always evolving and this affects and changes our general health and wellbeing.  It is important that we all take great care of our health and fitness.  The resources available at local libraries are a good step in the right direction to help us achieve this.”

Ashby Library is jointly hosting a special event entitled ‘Happy Hearts Day’ on Thursday 29th September to launch the library’s health and wellbeing collection.  The free drop-in event is from 10am-4pm and includes help and support for older people, free health checks from a local pharmacy and the chance to take a leisurely walk around Ashby ending at the library with refreshments. For more information please call the library on: 0116 305 5917 or email: ashbydelazouch@libraryleics.gov.uk  The day’s activities have been organised in partnership with Communities in Partnership and North West Leicestershire Elderly Interest Group

For more information about health and wellbeing services available to you at your library look on our website: www.leics.gov.uk/healthandwellbeing  call: 0116 305 3565 or visit your local library.

Leicestershire pilots new integrated day care service in libraries

Work is well underway on a major new project that will integrate day care provision for adults with services in Loughborough Library.   The project is believed to be one of the first in the country and will make council services much more accessible to members of the public and enable them to enjoy a wider variety of services under one roof.

The library will be extended and refurbished to include modern fully equipped accommodation to provide day care services including activity areas, office space, a kitchenette, an area for therapeutic activities and it will also have an open air courtyard.

 

The work will also allow for a major local studies collection about the history of Loughborough and the County to be relocated from the first floor of the library to the ground floor making it more easily accessible to library users.

 

The new integrated service will offer a full range of day care services for people with physical or learning disabilities and will provide the opportunity for them to use the library and its resources whilst in the vicinity. Loughborough Library is located centrally and offers easy access to other services and facilities in the town.

Subject to planning permission, it is anticipated that the project at the library will be completed by summer next year.  The project may be extended to include other libraries within the county in the future.

Get in gear, check your health, or explore forests at Blaby’s libraries

There will be plenty to keep both adults and children entertained and informed, and even a chance to check up on your health, at libraries in the Blaby area this February.

First off, there will be a story time session for children under eight years old at Enderby Library on Saturday February 5th from 11:30am to 12 noon.

Then if you fancy something a little different on Valentine’s Day you can enjoy coffee with a local Magistrate at Blaby Library. Find out more about this important legal position, and even how you can go about becoming one, at this free event on Monday 14th February between 10.30am and 11.30am

An insight into Willesley Wood is on offer two days later on Wednesday 16th February, when the Woodland Trust’s Ian Retson will be giving an evening talk at 7pm on its history and ongoing conservation at Glenhills Library. Tickets for this event cost £2 each and should be booked in advance.

Free health checks are also on offer through the third week of the month in all the area’s libraries, provided by Blaby District Council’s Active Together Team

• Braunstone Town Library: Monday 14th February, 9.30am until 11.30am.
• Glenhills Library: Tuesday 15th February, 3pm until 5pm.
• Countesthorpe Library: Wednesday 16th February, 10:15am until 12:15pm.
• Enderby Library: Wednesday 16th February, 2:30pm until 4:30pm.
• Cosby Library: Thursday 17th February, 10am until 12noon.
• Glenfield Library: Thursday 17th February, 2:30pm until 4:30pm.
• Kirby Muxloe Library: Friday 18th February, 10:30am until 12:30pm.

Over the half term break, fans of Jacqueline Wilson can immerse themselves in the world of her famous tomboy heroine, Tracy Beaker, with Explore Learning events on Wednesday 23rd February.

These fun literacy workshops are for children between seven and eleven years old and take place in Braunstone Town Library between 11am and 12 noon, at Kirby Muxloe Library between 2.30pm and 3.30pm, and at Enderby Library between 4:30pm and 5:30pm. These should be very popular events, so pre-booking is required.

Those looking for a real challenge over half term can take part in the Top Gear learning events, in which children pick up activity sheets from local libraries in preparation for the Top Gear Challenge at Enderby Library at the end of the week.

Teams of children and adults will compete between 10am and 12 noon on Saturday 26th of February to design and create the best toy car they can using just the materials provided. Who will be the Top Gear Champion? This free event is for seven to twelve-year-olds and accompanying adults, and is bound to be popular, so spaces should be booked early.

Fitting in with the cars theme, on Friday 25th Feb Explore Learning will be providing another set of free workshops, this time on the subject of cars and combining numeracy as well as literacy skills. This workshop is aimed at six to eleven-year-olds and take place at Glenfield Library between 10am and 11am, Countesthorpe Library between 2:15pm and 3:15pm and Cosby Library between 4pm and 5pm.

David Sprason, Leicestershire County Council Lead Member for Adults & Communities, said, “Events like these across libraries in Blaby keep visitors of all ages stimulated and entertained, and for little or no cost.”

For further details of these and other events, please contact Ali Sheffield on 0116 305 5900, visit www.leics.gov.uk/blabyevents, or visit your local library.

Light exercise at Loughborough Library

People who want to get a little exercise but don’t like the thought of joining a gym might consider taking part in regular exercise sessions at Loughborough Library.

Running every Tuesday until the end of the year, these focused seated exercises suit all ages, but are particularly effective for the over 60s and people with limited mobility. Qualified fitness instructor Suki Garcha will lead the classes through all the moves.

The weekly classes will be held every Tuesday morning between 10am and 11am in Loughborough Library until 28th December.

There will be a weekly charge of £2 payable on arrival. Sessions can be booked by calling on 01509 212985 or 01509 266436

For more information contact the Active Together Active Team on 01509 632534, or for more details of library events in Leicestershire please visit www.leics.co.uk/events

Spring into Spring – Plants to give Spring Interest’

Nick Hamilton will present ‘Spring into Spring – Plants to give Spring Interest’ at Hinckley Library on Monday, 8 March, from 6.30-7.30pm. 

Nick Hamilton developed his passion for gardening, aged 9, when his father purchased a derelict garden centre in Kettering. He worked with his dad at weekends and during school holidays. He trained at Writtle College and took a National Diploma course in commercial horticulture. His sandwich year placement sent him to Darby Nursery Stock in Norfolk, one of the largest wholesale container nurseries in the country and they asked him to return for full time employment once his course had ended. Nick gained valuable experience their and at other nurseries until his father purchased a piece of land, adjacent to Barnsdale, in 1989. This land formed the nursery and ultimately part of Barnsdale Gardens and Nick worked closely with his father in the family business. 

Nick took over the running of Barnsdale Gardens when Geoff died and has developed it into the inspirational garden that it is today, which is not only a credit to a great man but to Nick as well. The gardens are visited annually by 50,000 people who range from keen gardeners to non gardeners who just enjoy a beautiful garden.
Tickets for the event will cost £2 and can be obtained from the library.  Places may be limited, so early booking is recommended.

For those unable to attend an event, Leicestershire Libraries can still help;  all our libraries have a good selection of gardening books for you to borrow and there is more information at www.leics.gov.uk/focusongardening so there is no excuse for anything other than green fingers!

For further information please contact Hinckley Library on Tel: 01455 635106.

The following website gives further information on the speaker: www.barnsdalegardens.co.uk

Gardening Expert Springs into Action at Newbold Verdon Library

After the recent success of our evening with actor, broadcaster and narrator, Gordon Griffin we feel really lucky to have secured the services of Andrew Mikolajski for our next library event.

Andrew, a gardening expert, will be talking about “Growing Fruit and Vegetables in Containers” on Tuesday March 16th at 7.30 at Newbold Verdon Library.

Tickets are available at the library £2.00 each. Andrew’s experience covers the whole gamut of gardening. He’s lectures at Warwickshire College, designs gardens, speaks to groups on various gardening topics and still finds the time to be a published author.

He’s the author of over 30 widely varied gardening books and is knowledgeable, informative and passionate. “Andrew’s breadth of knowledge is outstanding and his writing style makes any subject accessible to even the novice gardener.” Catie Ziller, publisher In short, it’s an evening not to miss! So banish those winter blues, step into spring and come along!

This promises to be a fabulous evening and we consider ourselves to be very lucky to have secured Andrew’s visit to the library. This event costs £2.00 but we anticipate a high response, therefore please reserve your place by calling into the library or phoning 0116 305 3661.

Please come along and join us
For any more information Contact Newbold Verdon Library 0116 305 3661 and ask for Hannah Boot or Gill Harris http://www.leics.gov.uk/newboldverdon_library

Fairtrade Fortnight in Hinckley Library

Hinckley Library is inviting people for a hot drink to celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight.

Tea and coffee will be served from 10.00am–11.30am on Tuesdays, February 23rd and March 2nd at the library in Lancaster Road.

On February, 23rd the Mayor of Hinckley and Bosworth, Councillor Keith Nichols, will also be attending the Wriggly Readers sessions for pre-school children and their carers, where he will be handing out bananas supplied by the Heart of England Co-operative Society and the Hinckley and Bosworth Fairtrade Forum.

Bananas will also be handed out to Wriggly Readers on March 2nd.

From February 22nd to March 6th Hinckley Library will also have a display to enable visitors to find out more about Fairtrade in the borough.

For this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight the library is asking everyone to join it in The Big Swap.  For two whole weeks the library will be asking you to swap your usual goods for Fairtrade goods – your usual bananas for Fairtrade bananas, your usual cotton socks for Fairtrade cotton socks, and your usual cuppa for a Fairtrade cuppa.  This means that every time you go shopping, you can use your wallet to make a stand.

For further information contact: Phillip Lindley, Customer Services Librarian at Hinckley Library, by calling 01455 635106, emailing: phillip.lindley@leics.gov.uk

http://www.leics.gov.uk/hinckley_library

Knit and Stitch at Oadby Library

Are you interested in knitting and sewing and want to meet in a friendly informal setting where you can chat as well as working on your projects?

Starting from Sunday September 6th Oadby Library,10 The Parade is setting up a social group for stitchers on Sundays 2.00-3.30 pm where you can meet in a friendly atmosphere and have a chat as well as sewing or knitting.

Please bring a pair of 4mm knitting needles and a ball of double wool. Wool will also be available to buy at the library.

Whether you are a knitting novice or an embroidery expert come along to Oadby Library for a knit and a natter, share tips and expertise or learn from others.

All ages and abilities welcome!

Contact Oadby library
Tel: 0116 305 8763
Fax: 0116 271 8163
E-mail: oadbylibrary@leics.gov.uk
Website: www.leics.gov.uk/OadbyLibrary

Now That’s What I Call Reading

Time To Read wants people to try making a reading choice in the same way they choose what music to listen to. So, working on the theory that people who generally like cheery pop music such as Girls Aloud, Take That, and Sugababes, might be people who are interested in fashion, fun, romance and keeping fit. This might lead them naturally to enjoying books such as Chick Lit, celebrity biographies, romance titles and cheerful bestsellers.

Similarly people who like more moody music such as Radiohead, Coldplay , The Smiths or Elbow might be people who like books which express a dark, sexy, cinematic or bleak mood. We think books such as Love on the Dole by Walter Greenwood or The Road by Cormac McCarthy might suit them, along with titles by writers such as Raymond Chandler, Walter Mosley, Haruki Murakami or Neil Gaiman

Obviously people like different music and different reading experiences at different times, sometimes even on the same day. We really don’t want to categorise people or limit choices in anyway. We just think its interesting to think about the tone that many books have and try to match that to music, which people often seem to find easier to be decided about.

Time To Read has put together some shortlists of titles matched against groups of bands and musicians. These can be found on the Facebook page Now That’s What I Call Reading

How has the Library helped you?

Did you use our books for some research?

Got your head down to get some work done in one of our study spaces?

Did you log onto one of our computers to plan your summer holiday?

Learn something new in a course?

Met some great new people through our readers groups?

Please comment below and tell us how the Library has helped you!