 Children's author visits: Lui Sit and Eva Wong Nava
Join us at Woodley Library on Wednesday 28 May as we welcome author Liu Sit.
She writes children's books, adult short fiction and non-fiction. Her debut middle grade contemporary adventure book Land of the Last Wildcat will be published by Macmillan Children’s Books on 1 May.
Liu also has a crime mystery book The Lucky House Detective Agency being released in June under the pen name Scarlett Li.
Born in Hong Kong, Liu grew up in Australia and now lives in London with her family and moody cat. She is happiest in the sea, a forest or any library.
We are delighted to welcome her for this free event, which runs from 11am to 12 noon. Booking is required and signed copies of her books will be available to purchase.
Eva Wong Nava
A previous guest speaker at the Wokingham Children's Book Festival, Eva Wong Nava is coming to Trinity Hall Church in Lower Earley on Monday 12 May.
Eva writes for children of various ages and is passionate about reading for pleasure.
She writes stories to entertain, enthral and enliven children's imaginations, always filling each story with love and magic, even when these stories are non-fiction.
When not writing, she teaches the art of creative writing to teens and adults.
This event runs from 4pm to 5pm and is free to attend, but booking is required.
Bookings will be live two weeks prior to an event taking place.
 Join us for fun and creativity this May half-term
Get Arty
Enjoy arts and crafts, suitable for children aged four to ten. Places must be booked in advance and there is a £2 charge per child, payable on the day.
Events will run from 10.30am to 11.30am at:
- Lower Earley Library, Tuesday 27 May
- Wokingham Library, Friday 30 May
- Finchampstead Library, Friday 30 May
Craft drop-in session
Join us at Twyford Library on Thursday 29 May for a craft drop-in session, which will run from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. No booking is required and it costs £1 per child.
Explore Learning workshops
All knights go through many quests and this journey to the king’s throne is no different. We travel back to medieval times and children will joust their way through grammar tournaments.
Workshops are free and suitable for children aged six to eight. These will be held at:
- Woodley Library, 1.30pm to 2.30pm, Tuesday 27 May
- Lower Earley Library, 10.30am to 11.30am, Thursday 29 May
Booking is required via our library events website.
Dogs Trust
Join Dogs Trust for their Be Dog Smart programme at Wokingham Library on Wednesday 28 May.
The charity is dedicated to fostering secure, loving connections between children and their canine companions. It is their mission is to empower children with the knowledge and skills to interact safely with dogs in both their personal lives and social settings.
This is a free event, which will run from 10.30am to 11.30am, but booking is required. It is suitable for children aged seven to 11.
To book and find out more about the above events, visit our library events website. Bookings will be live two weeks prior to an event taking place.
 Supporting good causes through Community Lottery
We are inviting charities, community groups, societies and clubs to register as a good cause at the launch of our Community Lottery scheme.
All good causes supported by the lottery will benefit Wokingham Borough and its residents. For every £1 lottery ticket bought, at least 50p will go to good causes.
Local businesses and organisations are invited to the launch to find out how their support or sponsorship can help community projects in the borough. This benefits the community, while also helping to fulfil social value commitments.
The launch takes place on Thursday 1 May from 11am to 1pm at Wokingham Town Hall. The event is free to attend, but tickets need to be registered in advance.
The event will be in the main hall, located on the first floor which is accessible by lift. A light lunch will be provided.
 Fun in the sun, with wildlife trail and smoothies
A big thank you to everyone who attended our Family Fun Day at Lower Earley Library.
The free event, organised by our Libraries and Community Engagement teams, was held on Monday 7 April and featured stalls from many local organisations.
Children enjoyed sitting in a real police car thanks to Thames Valley Police, having lots of messy fun at the playdough and colouring table, as well as searching the courtyard for a wildlife trail, which was kindly provided by Earley Environmental Group.
Dr Bike was on hand to help with bicycle maintenance and My Journey Wokingham drew a big crowd with their bicycle powered smoothie maker.
Thank you also to the team from Trinity Church, who were on hand to provide refreshments and keep everyone cool in the beautiful spring sunshine.
 Pop in for a chat at engagement sessions
Come and speak with our Community Engagement team to find out what is happening in your area, or let us know how we can help you.
We have information on things such as volunteering, adult education and how to access free health checks from the Community Wellness Outreach team.
These sessions are held on the first Friday of the month, starting at Twyford Library from 10am to 1pm and then moving to Wargrave Library from 2pm to 5pm.
 Get involved and help others through our libraries
If you want to find out what volunteering opportunities we have at our libraries, our vacancies are listed in one place.
You can visit our page on Engage Wokingham Borough to find out more about the roles on offer. It will be updated regularly and you will be kept informed about anything you have registered interest in.
Whether it is leading a Rhymetime session or being part of our Home Library Service, there is something for everyone and roles are often flexible to suit your schedule.
We currently have opportunities to help us with:
- Summer Reading Challenge
- LEGO Club
- Rhymetime
- Home Library Service
- Igniting Writing
- Tea and Tales
- Code Club
Volunteering benefits the library service and makes a huge difference in the local community. There are also a range of personal benefits, including meeting new people, developing skills, gaining experience for your CV and having fun while making a difference to your local community.
If you ever need more information about a specific role or have any questions, send us an email.
Home Library Service
We provide a free Home Library Service for books, including large print and audio books.
A trained volunteer will deliver items to match your reading tastes every three weeks at an agreed time.
This service is for any resident who can't visit their local library because of ill health, disability or because they are caring for someone.
You can apply online and application forms are also available in all our libraries.
 A drink and a friendly conversation with our team
We host free coffee mornings at our libraries in Lower Earley, Wokingham, Wargrave and Woodley.
These run from 10am to 11.30am and are open to everyone. You can enjoy tea, coffee and biscuits. Join us at:
- Lower Earley Library, fourth Friday of the month (next event 23 May)
- Wokingham Library, fourth Thursday of the month (next event 22 May)
- Wargrave Library, second Wednesday of the month (next event 14 May)
- Woodley Library, second and third Thursday of the month (next events 8 & 15 May)
There is no need to book and you can have a chat with our friendly volunteers.
 Health and wellbeing campaign launching soon
Take Five to Age Well is a campaign targeted at residents over the age of 50 that aims to help people live longer and healthier lives.
Launching on 1 May, it is a 30-day challenge that can help you improve your health and wellbeing, creating a lasting impact through simple habits.
We want all residents to enjoy longer, healthier lives and feel empowered to make choices that boost their health and wellbeing for years to come.
Take Five to Age Well has been developed by the Open University. There are five categories: eat, drink, think, move and connect and engage. We want people to create daily healthy behaviours around each category, with a view to maintaining them beyond the campaign.
To help get you started, we have free wellbeing walks every Tuesday and Sunday at Dinton Pastures Country Park in Hurst.
These are at a gentle pace suitable for all ages, just under three miles and the routes go around the beautiful lakes. You can find out more about Wokingham Wellbeing Walks online.
Another fantastic opportunity to be active in our outdoor spaces is through parkrun. This Spring parkrun is running a campaign to encourage people to take part in parkwalk to showcase that walkers are welcome at all parkrun events.
Our local parkruns are held at Dinton Pastures Country Park and California Country Park. It’s free, fun, and a great way to stay active at your own pace. You can find out more and how to register for parkwalk online.
News from the world of books and award winners
Check out our Wokingham Borough Libraries blog to read articles on the latest from the world of books.
This includes recommended reading and features on award nominations and winners.
Read our article on the Women's Prize for Fiction and Non-Fiction, with the 2025 shortlist recently announced.
We also have an article about the shortlist for the Carnegie Medals for Writing and Illustration.
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