Volunteer-Led Activities at the Hayridge

 Regular users of the Hayridge may have noticed that our Saturday morning activities have been rather irregular of late, with issues around Lego Club, Coding Club, and Airfix Club. I’d like to use this issue of the Hubbub to let you know what’s going on, explain a little about our volunteer-led activities, and take the opportune of letting you know how you can help going forward if you have time to spare and would like to help your community to thrive.

Coding/Minecraft Club

Starting with the most complicated situation first, our Coding Club was suspended in November 2016. We originally started it with one volunteer back in 2015, but just as it was being to get established and gather some traction, our volunteer moved to work in a different part of the country before we had an opportunity to recruit additional volunteers. We therefore had to suspend the club in March 2016 while we recruited a new team to run the club.

The club restarted in July with two volunteers. I had hoped that this would give us additional resilience in the event that one of the volunteers needed to move on. Unfortunately at the end of October, both volunteers got new jobs at more or less the same time, just as the reformed club was starting to get settled. We had at that time added Minecraft as an extra option for Saturday mornings, but that was also affected by the sudden removal of volunteer support.

Over the winter, we have been working hard to put a new volunteer team together to deliver code club. This time we have eight volunteers, and it is my sincere hope that this time we will be able to sustain the club regardless of the occasional loss of a volunteer, or even several simultaneously.

If you have been affected by all this chopping and changing of the club, please accept my apologies; but I hope you understand that we have to be careful to make sure that the children in our care will be safe, and it takes time to get new volunteers on board and up to speed. Stay with us; we will get this right.

Airfix Club

Airfix has been the very opposite of Coding club, in that we have some committed volunteers but not very much demand for the club from youngsters.

We have decided to temporarily suspend the Airfix club until the summer, while we look at the potential demand from both young and old. As a long-term fan of model-building, I think that Airfix is a brilliant hobby: it promotes mindfulness/relaxation, artistic expression, an interest in technology, and fosters an interest in history. However, in today’s digital age, it is not as popular with young people as it once was.

If there is sufficient interest – 5 people, say – we will reconstitute the Airfix club as a self-standing model club, possibly affiliated to the International Plastic Modeller’s Society (IPMS). To help identify the demand, we are looking at hosting a model-themed extravaganza in June. If that goes well, we’ll press-on with forming the club; if not, we will close the club down and see if the volunteers would be interested in supporting any of our other activities.

Lego Club

Lego has been really popular since it started at the beginning of 2015. We have been fortunate in that our volunteer, Tony Thurgood, has been so adaptable: we originally thought that Lego attendees would be aged 8-13 or so, and he was primed to help with tough engineering challenges. In fact, Lego has been mostly used by a much younger age group, and Tony has been fantastic in helping them to be comfortable building smaller projects at their own pace.

I’d also like to put on record the terrific help we have had from our two teen volunteers in using the Lego robots, and also Sam Gibb who has kindly lent us some of his personal collection of large and expensive Lego sets to complement the sets we have bought for the club.

Unfortunately, Tony Thurgood was seriously ill over the New Year and we are not sure when he will be well enough to return to the club. While he is away, I have allocated one of our staff members to supervise the club. We would love to hear from any adult in the community who might be interested in helping to run the club going forward.

Becoming a Volunteer

 Becoming a volunteer is easy, if a little time-consuming.

The first step is to contact me, Centre Manager Darryl Harrison at darryl.harrison@librariesunlimited.org.uk . I will arrange a 1-1 meeting to discuss your interest, and explain the duties we expect you to perform according to the role you have expressed interest in.

If you are still interested after the 1-1, I will ask you to complete an “Expression of Interest” form. This asks for basic contact details, confirms the positon you are interested in, and asks for two references willing to testify on your behalf. When you submit the form, we contact your referees and wait for their response.

If the references are OK – and they invariably are – we then usually proceed to submit a DBS check on your behalf. This is necessary for any activity which involves supervision of children. The DBS check requires you to bring in documents to confirm your identity and address – the usual stuff, such as passport, driving licence, and utility bills. Once these are received and accepted by the DBS authority, you will be issued with a BS certificate, after which you’re ready to rock.

Once all the admin and bureaucracy is done and dusted, there will be a briefing to confirm start dates, personal safety and safeguarding practices, and the procedures to be followed for the activity you have volunteered to support. Phew!

Current Volunteer Opportunities

I am currently looking for two adult volunteers for the Lego club, and am always keen to hear from people with programming OR children’s care experience, to add to the pool of volunteers supporting Coding and Minecraft.

We are also always on the lookout for people who are committed to a hobby that supports the library ethic – something to inspire an interest in technology, artistic expression, community involvement, or shared use of resources – so if you have a passion for a particular hobby or activity and would like to volunteer to share your passion with others, why not get in touch with me to see if we can support you through the library?

And Finally…

Volunteer-led activities are really important to our ability to support the community in interesting and engaging activities for all ages.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our wonderful volunteers, and hope that we can continue to support a wide and varies programme of events and activities going forward.

WORK CLUB - NEW DAY - STARTING TUESDAY 26th JULY

Aimed at people looking for work. 

We Offer help and support in searching for jobs, completing Application Forms, preparing or updating your CV.

We provide access to computers and the internet.

You can access the governments Universal Jobmatch site where you can search for jobs, update your CV, apply for suitable jobs.  All information can be recorded, which you will find useful if you are registered and claiming Job Seekers Allowance or other relevant benefits.

We have photo copying facilities.

Work Club at The Hayridge will recommence on Tuesday 26th July



Summer at the Hayridge

 

It's all happening at the Hayridge this summer, as we get ready for the Summer Reading Challenge which starts on July 16th. Over the years, schools have told us that children who continue to read over the school summer holidays consistently do better at school the next term. So it's a great way to keep young ones developing their reading skills an having some fun at the same time. There's a Roald Dahl theme this year, so roll up for the big friendly read!

Take the Underwater Challenge!

There's a submarine theme to the activities at the Hayridge in July, with activities and craft events for all ages, including a special story time on July 15th. There's a quiz and colouring activities to be found at the library counter, so come along and take part in the fun (and you don't even need a scuba suit!)

 

Axe Valley Festival 2016

Congratulations to chair of the Friends of Cullompton Library, Dorothy Anderson, who won the gardening competition with her library-themed garden! Check out the details here.

 

 

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Travel the World at Your Library in February!

There's lots happening at the Hayridge this February, with collections and activities for everyone. Our theme this month is Books that Take You Places, so look out for things travel-related: a brilliant selection of fiction set abroad, as well as a selection of travel guides to help you plan your next break away from the soggy weather we've had to endure since the start of the year. We'll also be reading out extracts from a couple of travel-related books on Tuesday 23rd February at 2pm (with a café special of tea or coffee and a biscuit for only £1), so if you'd like to be transported to a distant land, let the library do it for free!

Vexed by Vexillology?

That's the study of flags - but you already knew that, of course. Anyway, to develop our travel theme, we've put together a couple of flaggy quests for you to puzzle over. For little ones, we have a flag trail running around the library starting February 1st; and for everyone else, we have a flag quiz at the counter starting on the same date. And on February 18th 2-3pm, you'll be able to decorate biscuits with flags of your own. Now that's something to wave the flags about.

 Think you Know Devon?

If your travel preferences lie closer to home, we've come up with a little puzzler for you. We've printed a map of Devon showing the location of 20 towns or cities with a Devon library branch, but forgotten to print their names. Can you work the names out for us? It's harder than you might think! Have a go starting February 1st.

 

 

Make up a Postcard

One of the best bits about travelling is sending someone you know a postcard telling them how great a time you're having. Well, on February 16th (during half-term week) we've got a great kids' activity lined up: come in and design your own postcard for Cullompton, then mail it to us here at the Hayridge. We'll put all the cards we receive on display for the rest of the month. Stamps provided. Who knows, this could be the start of something big!

Fab Lab is Here!

On Friday February 19th (also during half term) we'll be hosting the fabulous Fab Lab - the fabrication laboratory. They'll be running two workshops for older children, bringing their incredible 3D printers to allow cool stuff to be designed on the computers and manufactured on the printers. The morning workshop (10am) will be about designing and building a (flyable) glider, while the afternoon workshop will be about racing cars. For more details, click this link. We've got limited places on each workshop, so if you're interested, sign up now!

 

 And Don't Forget...

All our regular events will be running through February, including Lego Club (every Saturday 10am), Coding Club (every Tuesday 4pm) and the Community Cinema on the last Saturday of the month. See all our regular events at this link.

Got an idea for a club or activity? Let us know and we'll do our best to make it happen!

Finally - a Fond Farewell

Centre Assistant Susie Tyler leaves the Hayridge at the end of January to pursue her dream of becoming a full-time illustrator. I'm sure you will all join me in wishing Susie all the best in her venture, and give her a big thank you for all the effort she has put in to making Cullompton Library a special place to visit over the last few years. Hopefully she will still remember us when her career has taken off and she's rich and famous!

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Fall Back: Autumn at the Hayridge

Time Flies

As the clock change approaches, we are getting ready for a busy Autumn at the Hayridge, with lots to get involved in during the lead-up to Christmas.

 

 

 

Open+

 

 

As well as the clocks going back, Opening Times are changing here too, with the launch of a new scheme called Open Plus. This will allow customers to access the centre and use its facilities after normal hours - up to 21:30 on each weekday evening. Customers will be able to scan their library card and enter their pin to gain access late into the evening and at weekends. We're very excited to be able to be able to offer greater flexibility for our customers and hope it will make a difference to how often you can visit The Hayridge Centre.

 

The scheme goes fully live on 16th November, so if you would like to be able to access The Hayridge in the evening, come to the desk during staffed hours to have your library card added to the system.

Free Online Magazines with Zinio 

Zinio for Libraries is here! It gives free access to magazines for all Devon Libraries members. Wherever you are you can now read magazines for free online or download and keep on your mobile device. There's a great deal of choice for all interests -Grazia, New Scientist, Hello!, Cycling Plus, BBC Good Food and many more can be found - See more by clicking on Magazines.

 

Creative Crafts

 

We're just finalising the details of our crafts and activities for November and December, so keep a lookout for our flyers, facebook events posts and website, detailing all the dates and times.

We're going to hide some pinecones around the library, for children to find and make into woodland creatures. And we'll be running two special storytimes about a cute little penguin and his experiences of Autumn and Winter. There'll be an educational leaf trail around the library and displays of books on the theme.

We'll also be gathering information for the elderly about how to prepare for the cold weather to ensure everyone is safe and toasty this season.

If you feel like a surprise, we'll be running our mystery book loans during December. There will be a pile of presents in the foyer - wrapped books without their titles. You won't know what you're getting, and you'll have to come and borrow it the old-fashioned way without self-service so you don't find out what you've borrowed til you unwrap it at home. It's a bit of fun to get people to try reading something they wouldn't normally pick up. In January we'd like to gather people's thoughts about what they've read and share recommendations.
 

 

  

Still Time to Hop onto a FREE Taster Session with On Course Southwest.

 

This Friday 16th October sees a wonderful range of free taster courses taking place at The Hayridge, including Dressmaking, Crochet, Cake Decorating, Creative Writing and Decoupage. All you have to do to sign up is come and add your name to our list and turn up on the day. You can also see all the other courses on offer in the On Course Southwest brochure or on their website. And if there's something you'd like to learn that you don't see available, let us know and we'll put it on our wish list.

 

 

Oh no - The Robots are Coming!!

If you like LEGO, you'll love this - Lego robots!

Come along to Lego Club for a SPECIAL EVENT on Saturday 28th November. Learn how to build and programme robotic Lego creations between 10 am and 12 noon.











 

 

Where did Summer go?

Ok, who stole Summer?

It feels as though summer has just whisked by in a blur of frenzied activity here at the Hayridge. One minute summer was just starting, and the next minute there was a chill in the air and leaves were dropping off the trees. We'll use this post to  draw breath and reflect on what's been happening over the last few weeks, as well as looking forward to some of the things we'll be doing as the evenings start to draw in. We hope you haven't missed us while we've been "off air", but rest assured that we're now back and ready to rock!

Summer Reading Challenge 2015

The highlight of our summer was of course the annual Summer Reading Challenge. Each year, we encourage schoolchildren to read 6 books over the summer vacation. Studies have shown that by continuing reading over the summer holidays, children are more likely to show improvement in reading ability and school performance the following term - see the analysis of the 2014 reading challenge here for more details - so it's something we take very seriously. This year, 406 children signed-up for the challenge, of whom 189 succeeded in finishing all 6 books. The first 100 finishers were rewarded with an invitation to a free magician's party! We're very pleased with the performance this year, but will be working on encouraging more of the starters to finish when we look at next year's challenge. In the meantime, a big WELL DONE to those 189 children who finished their books.

The Hayridge gets a new face...

We'd like to take this opportunity to introduce new Centre Assistant Liz Porter, who will be joining the team at the end of September. Liz replaces Sophie Ross, who has left to spend more time hob-nobbing with politicians as chair of the board of trustees of the children's charity Pre-School Alliance. Come along in October to say hello to Liz and welcome her to The Hayridge!

Top Author Visits The Hayridge

We are thrilled beyond words to welcome best-selling author Lesley Pearce to the Hayridge on the evening of Friday, September 25th. Lesley will be talking about her latest book "Without a Trace", and at her last library visit had the audience in stitches with her account of writing, publishing, and life in general. If you don't already have a ticket, we have a few remaining - contact the library counter on 01392 388400 or cullompton.library@devon.gov.uk . Tickets are a snip at £3!

OnCourse Taster Session

Plymouth-based training organisation OnCourse SouthWest will be with us on October 16th to host a free taster session for a number of courses which they hope to run at The Hayridge in January (depending on the number of sign-ups they obtain). The courses include: Cake Decorating; Creative Writing; Crochet Beginners; Dressmaking; and Decoupage. Full details are available at the library counter, where you can also find a brochure of all the courses they run in the Plymouth area - if there's one you'd like them to run here, just let us know, and if we can get enough people interested, we might be able to persuade them to run one here too. We'll need you to sign-up for the tasters - just give us a call on the number shown above if you're interested.

Fancy Building a Spitfire?

Well now you can, courtesy of Airfix! We have bought a number of model kits which we will be building on Saturday October 17th starting at 10:00. We'll provide the kits, glue, and paint so you can build your very own tribute to the Battle of Britain, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. Places are limited, and cost a very reasonable £2 with everything included. There'll also be a special Spitfire model display on the day, with over 40 Spitfire models of various types and markings to illustrate the history of this remarkable and iconic aeroplane. Don't miss it! (Children under 10 will need to be accompanied by a parent please. Children over the age of 70 can take part for free.)

Yet more aeronautical stuff...

As if that wasn't enough, our Lego club will be working on a special project on Saturday October 3rd, as they set about building a huge model of the Sopwith Camel WW1 fighter. If you fancy joining them, come along and add your name to the list of children taking part. Incidentally, there'll be big news about the Lego Club in the next instalment of the Hubbub, so watch this space...

And finally... 

Finally, just a quick update on our plans to open the library in the evenings and Saturday afternoons. Work on this has been taking place over the summer - which has been the biggest reason for the lateness of this blog post - and is on course for introduction in November. We're looking for a few volunteers to test using the library in the evenings, so if you'd like to be a guinea pig, stop by at the library counter and have a word with the staff.

 

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June is a Criminally Good Month!

There's a whole loot of criminals to catch, and stolen goods to find at the Hayridge throughout June.








A Lotta Loot

To start with, can you find Burglar Bill's hidden loot, which is scattered around the library? If you track it all down, you can come and claim a reward!







 
We Need Your Help!

We still haven't found Burglar Bill himself. To help us get our hands on him, please come and help us make a big WANTED poster. Drop in between 10am and 12noon on Saturday 13th June. It's something that all ages can help with.








 Calling Avid Crime Readers

Meanwhile, adults can test their knowledge of crime novels with our crime quiz. It's free and available from the front desk all through the month.




Criminally Comical Critters

After all that chasing of criminals, it's time to relax with a good movie and a book. Come and nestle down for a story about some criminal mastermind penguins with 'Penguins in Peril' on Saturday 27th June at 10.30 am. You can have a go colouring in your own little penguin too.



Then you can go upstairs to the Cullompton Community Cinema at 11am, who will be showing The Nut Job. It's completely free, so you don't need to rob anyone to come and watch!




Feedback Results

You'll probably have noticed that this issue of the Hubbub is a bit later than usual. That's because we've been going carefully through all the feedback you kindly gave us about our plans to introduce technology to open the library outside of our normal opening schedule (and also to change the opening schedule slightly, so we can open properly on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons). A full analysis of the consultation results can be found by clicking here, but if you want to skip all the detail and just read the headlines, here they are:

• 106 responses were submitted - 81 on paper and 25 online (a BIG thank you to everyone who submitted a response)
• 96 of the responses were in favour of us jiggling the timetable to open on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, with 10 opposed
• 60 of the responses indicated that they might be interested in using the library outside of its normal manned opening times
• Of these, the most popular times were (in order of preference): Saturday afternoon; Sunday morning/afternoon; Weekday evenings; Weekday mornings.

As the results give a clear signal of support for our proposal to use the new technology, we are moving ahead with its installation and testing. Over the next few weeks, you will see engineers wandering around the building, carrying big fat bundles of cable, and standing on ladders looking at holes in the ceiling. As this is the first installation of its kind in the South West, we honestly don't know when well get it all working so we can move forward with the new opening hours timetable, but we will of course keep you posted here at the Hubbub. So stay tuned if you want to be the first to know!

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The Arty Month of May

April seems to be racing away in a flurry of ducklings and blossom, and May is beckoning with fresh green leaves and a spattering of arty events at the Hayridge.

If you like art, (and even if you don't, we hope to persuade you otherwise) we've got a host of fun activities for you to get stuck into during May. Do have a good look and see what might suit you, or your family and friends.

To start it all off, from the 1st May. we will be testing your knowledge of famous painters and their work, with a free Art History Quiz. It will be available to pick up from the front desk for the whole month, so you can take it away and mull it over before it needs to be handed in by 1st June. The lovely people at The Crediton Community Bookshop have promised us a copy of a beautiful new book about the history of art, to give as a prize. If we have more than one correct entry we will draw a winner on 2nd June.

If you're feeling nosy (like me) then you'll love the chance to peek inside the studio and sketchbook of professional children's book illustrator Nick East. Nick has just finished the artwork for a brand new picture book by Amy Sparkes, The Mouse who Sailed the Seas, and will be appearing on our blog in a special interview. He'll be answering all the questions we could dream up including, most importantly, what is his most favourite cheese.



We're delighted to welcome Amy Sparkes to the library again. She'll be visiting us to meet with local pre-schoolers on Tuesday 12th May and Foundation Primary School children on Tuesday 19th May. Children attending these sessions will hear The Mouse who Sailed the Seas, read by Amy herself. They will have the chance to ask Amy questions and buy a signed copy of the book at a discounted price. There will also be a fun craft activity. If you're interested in bringing children along, either as a group or an individual, we still have spaces at our earliest preschool session so give Susie a ring on 01392 388400 to book a places.



For those of you whose fingers are twitching to get something down on paper, we have some great opportunities for you to share your creativity. Every day throughout May there'll be a big flipchart standing in the foyer. The early bird gets the worm, or the pens, and can draw to their heart's content to fill the sheet as much as they would like. We'll be photographing the doodles and sharing them on facebook and twitter. We'll also feature a round up of some of our favourites on the blog at the end of the month.



If you'd like a little more guidance to your doodling, we have a special, free Oil Pastel Workshop, with Artist and Teacher Annie Tildesley. It's on Wednesday 13th May, from 4-6, and is suitbale for adults and children over 11. Places are booking up fast, so do come and register your interest if you'd like to join in. Materials are provided, so what's stopping you?



Come and listen to a story after school, on Monday 18th May, at 3.45. Susie will be reading Picasso and the Girl with the Ponytail, an inspiring story about creativity and confidence, based on a true story, written and illustrated by Laurence Anholt. After the story we'll all have a go at drawing faces, with a demo by Susie.  No need to book.




You may prefer to be drawn on. In which case, Emma Cutland will be delighted to help you out. She'll be here on Saturday 16th May from 10am, to paint faces, charging from £1-£3 depending on the complexity of the design. There's no need to book, so you can just pop along on the day.







Finallly, after all this creative activity, let yourself sit back and enjoy a brilliant, classic movie. How to Steal a Million, starring Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole, is an absorbing and charming story of an eccentric old art forger and his honest, chic daughter. Join us for a zany caper round Paris with Police, Museums, Thieves, Cute Cars and Boomerangs. It's completely free and you're welcome to bring your own refreshments or buy them from our excellent Café.

Thank you for your Input!

Our Public consultation has now closed. We are busy assessing the results and we will publish the outcome on our blog in two weeks time.

Spring...

Spring has Sprung!

Well it certainly feels like spring is here with the lovely sunny weather we've been having this week! We're celebrating spring with a lovely collection of gardening books ready for you to take on those outdoor chores that will have built up over the winter. There's a large selection of "grow your own" titles, and we'd love to see any produce that you grow after reading any of the titles we've chosen - just bring something in later in the year and we'll put a photograph on the blog to inspire others to do likewise next time round. And if you're in the mood for planting your very first seed, stop by at the Library on Saturday where you'll be able to do just that - we have everything you need to plant your very own flower and take it home to watch it grow. Lovely!


Cloth Trade Trail

With the weather finally starting to warm up, now might be the perfect time to have a go at the Cullompton Cloth Trade trail, which starts here at the Hayridge. We have a brilliant touchscreen display about the history of the cloth trade installed in our lobby, thanks to the tireless work of Penny Bayer and the Cullompton Town Team, which you can use to bring the town's history to life. And there's a selection of leaflets and activities you can use to follow the trail and find out more about Cullompton's fascinating past. Pop into the library to pick up a leaflet and you'll be all set.


World Book Night

A gentle reminder that it's World Book night on April 23rd, and as usual we have linked up with the Reading Agency to hand out special editions of top titles completely free! So if you fancy picking up something new to try, or want to spread the joy of reading to friends who don't normally visit the library, come along between 10 and 12 on the 23rd to collect your copy. It's first come, first served...





Our Opening Hours Consultation Ends This Week

If you've not told us what you think about our proposals to open the library on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and possibly later in the evenings and at the weekends, you've got until the end of this week to do so. Our earlier blog post explains what we're doing and why, and you can give your feedback either by dropping into the library in person and filling in a form or by accessing our on-line form by seeing today's facebook post. We'd love to have input from everyone who uses the Hayridge, so if you've not been in touch yet, please try and spare a moment to do so. Thanks!

Bunnies and Chicks

Have you had a go at finding the bunnies and chicks lurking in the library? They keep moving around, so we need all the help we can get to keep an eye on them. Stop by any time to track them down.



Sophie's Choice - Part 2

In our staff picks section, Centre Assistant Sophie Ross continues her account of her search for a good passionate read. Click here to see what she has to say about Jane Gardam's take on passion.






Lego Creations

Our Lego club continues to thrive, and now that it's moved upstairs it has the space to breathe! Photos of the Lego models built at the last session can be found by clicking here. We're still looking to develop the club for older children, but we need someone to volunteer to help us with that. So if you feel up for helping out, or know someone who might be interested, please do let us know!




Coming in May...

May at the Hayridge will be devoted to all things arty, with workshops, displays and activities aplenty. We'll have more details for you in the next post so watch this space!




And Finally - Wanna Winna Raffle?

The Friends of Cullompton Library have organised a brilliant raffle to generate funds to support the activities we run here at the Hayridge. First prize is a brilliant basket of produce organised by the Farmers' Market, with other super prizes too. Tickets only cost £1 each, which is an absolute steal. To get your ticket, just pop along to the Hayridge counter - it's a bit of fun and all the money you spend goes towards keeping the Hayridge the vibrant and fun place you expect it to be. Go on, you know you want to!

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