October will be a busy month for Suffolk Libraries with a series of events held to mark Silver Sunday, Get Online Week, National Libraries Week and a number of Fun Palace events.
This Sunday (1 October 2917) is Silver Sunday which is an annual day of fun and free activities for older people across the UK. The day aims to celebrate the value and knowledge older people contribute to our communities whilst also aiming to combat loneliness and isolation.
Five libraries have organised Silver Sunday events as follows (all on Sunday)
Chantry Library in Ipswich is holding a health walk which is a very gentle walk from the library exploring local parks and nature reserves. Everyone is welcome and the walk starts at the library on Hawthorn Drive at 1.30pm. The event is part of the regular programme of ‘Stepping Out’ Health Walks and homemade cake and hot drinks will be available afterwards at the library .
Great Cornard Library are holding a tea party from 1pm to 3pm. Any older people are welcome to come along, make new friends and enjoy a cup of tea and a chat.
Framlingham Library are holding a tea party from 2pm to 4pm. Older people are invited to come to the library for some company and delicious Fairtrade goodies. Enjoy a free cup of tea, a scone with jam and cream or a slice of cake, have a chat, make new friends and even have a go at building some Lego – you’re never too old!
Beccles Library are inviting older people to the library for tea and cake, games and a Silver Sunday quiz from 1pm to 3pm.
Newmarket Library are holding a tea party from 1pm to 2.30pm for any older people looking to make new friends.
Nearly all Suffolk Libraries also have a regular programme of social activities for older people during the week – ask at your local library for details.
Next week is also Get Online Week (2-8 October) which aims to help people make the most of the internet. This year, the campaign is encouraging everyone to ‘Try 1 Thing’ and use the internet to do just one thing you’d normally do in a shop or bank, in a doctor’s or chemist, or even over the phone.
The following Get Online events are taking place next week:
Ipswich County Library are holding two free internet taster sessions in conjunction with Lxpert. These are taking place on Tuesday 3 October from 2pm to 3pm and Friday 6 October from 10am to 11am. To follow this Lxpert are delivering a three-part course on the following dates 10th, 24th and 31st October (2pm to 3pm) at a cost of £15. Places on the taster sessions or the course later in the month can be booked by visiting the library or calling 01473 263810.
Chantry Library are hosting IT consultant Jeremy Bull who is providing 1-to-1 IT starter sessions from 10am to 3pm on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 October
Suffolk Libraries has a programme of Get Connected events during the year to promote the range online library services available. All libraries in Suffolk also provide free internet access and customer Wi-Fi so they’re ideal places to discover what the internet has to offer.
This will be followed by a series of Fun Palace events which kick off National Libraries week on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 October with events so far confirmed in Ipswich, Lowestoft, Saxmundham, Elmswell and Southwold. Fun Palaces are the brainchild of author Stella Duffy who strongly believes that in lots of different ways “everyone is an artist and everyone is a scientist and we are all geniuses”. Each October, community venues hold Fun Palace events to enable everyone to explore their creative and scientific side and also have lots of fun. Events round the country have ranged from something simple such as showing children how to make their own slime to pop-up community choirs.
James Powell
Marketing and Communications Manager, Suffolk Libraries,
Ipswich County Library, Northgate Street, Ipswich, IP1 3DE
Tel – 01473 263837 Mobile – 0787 6554474
www.suffolklibraries.co.uk @suffolklibrary Facebook.com/suffolklibraries
For a full list of all upcoming events in our libraries visit www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/upcoming-events
