For four years the council has been running its Warm Spaces campaign
Lancashire County Council have relaunched their Warm Spaces scheme for the fourth year in a row to offer residents a warm place to socialise this winter.
The scheme is a Lancashire County Council initiative which encourages people to enjoy a free hot drink, meet new people and to stay warm in a selection of libraries throughout the colder months.
Locals are invited to borrow books, use free computers and Wi-Fi, and join in with events and activities at a time where most people need a bit more support.
Councillor Daniel Matchett, cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing, visited Burnley Library to witness for himself some of the sessions that are on offer for visitors.
He met residents taking part in the Top To Toe weekly exercise sessions, which aims to improve cardiovascular and muscular strength, as well as families taking part in Story Time, a weekly reading and singing session for pre-school children.
He said: “Warm spaces is such an important scheme as it helps members of the public to try out new hobbies and activities, make new friends, enjoy a hot drink and stay warm during the winter months.
“It brings people together and helps to reduce isolation for a lot of residents. It was really nice to meet participants at some of the Library sessions today and hear about how much they value these classes, getting involved and getting healthy.
“Anyone who visits our libraries will always receive a very warm welcome and our staff are in touch with other local organisations to offer further support if they need it.”
One resident who loves the facilitilies is Anita, who can be seen enjoying the Story Time sessions with her son, Harry.
She said: “It’s just really easy to just pop in whenever you want. We’ve just been to Story Time, it was really good. We enjoyed it and we made little crafts afterward. They do stories and singing, everybody’s really welcoming. It’s a nice place to come to – and it doesn’t cost anything.”
Last winter, staff at Burnley library ended up serving 40 hot drinks every day during the annual Warm Spaces scheme as they welcomed a variety of people into the space. This included families, retired residents, people experiencing homelessness and those working remotely.
The Library also has a wide range of technology such as 3D printing, family Lego, digital skills, family history sessions and children’s book clubs.
Andrew Parker, who runs Print Outside the Box sessions at 10am on Fridays at Burnley Library, said: “As part of the Warm Spaces initiative, we enjoy welcoming visitors to our 3D printing sessions. We find that some visitors come in with an idea of what they would like to make in mind already, or are intrigued to just come and see how it works.
“Children love to watch the 3D printer in use and we have had a lot of home-schooled children finding it fascinating. Why don’t you book onto a session and find out more for yourself?”
Sophie Denton, Library Assistant, also urged members of the public to come along and find out more.
She said: “As part of the warm spaces scheme, we want to encourage families and individuals to enjoy the spaces and learn something new.
“We’ve got family clubs on, things for children, and things that you wouldn’t believe happens in a library! Music events, mic nights, exercise classes, STEM, you name it, it’s anything off the top of your head! We’re always interested to hear what the community needs next.”
