Library Volunteers in The Times!

We were thrilled to see two Volunteers from Rustington Library featured in the Times, as part of the amazing Reading Friends project run by the Reading Agency. Kate Avery and Carol Raggett are both volunteers for the project and run a successful reminiscence group at Rustington Library where they encourage older people to meet others and talk about the past. 

We would like to say a huge thank you to Kate and Carol for making such a difference at their local library. You can read more about Kate and her volunteer role here. You can also find out more about Reading Friends in West Sussex or, if you are interested in becoming a Reading Friends Volunteer, please contact Jackie Manners or Christine Broggi for more information.

Coronavirus: information for volunteers

You will have seen the continuing coverage of the COVID-19 virus in the media so I thought this would be a good opportunity to provide all our library volunteers with links to the latest Government information and advice.  

West Sussex County Council’s Public Health team is working closely with Public Health England (PHE), who are leading the national COVID-19 response and providing messaging for the public. The COVID-19 campaign page on the WSCC website provides links to both the latest Government information and also information about specific countries and specified areas. Public Health England has also issued a helpful guide outlining some of the key questions surrounding coronavirus.

In addition there are public information posters on display in all West Sussex Libraries, with up to date information about the steps you can take to protect yourself. We will continue to keep you informed if this information or the recommendations change.

If you have any questions about how this might affect your volunteer role please contact christine.broggi@westsussex.gov.uk

Would you like to find out more about our eLibrary products? Then come along to one of our staff and volunteer training sessions on:

Monday 23 March at Crawley Library, 9.30am - 12.00pm

Friday 3 April at Bognor Regis Library, 9.30am - 12.30pm

The training will include an introductory presentation about the different eLibrary products followed by the chance to ask questions and practice. If you would like to book a place, or find out more, please contact Christine Broggi

Libraries celebrate Wellbeing Month  

Throughout March we will be celebrating Wellbeing Month in all our libraries and highlighting the positive impact of libraries, books and reading. We will also be linking up with the national Five Ways to Wellbeing initiative: Connect, Be Active, Keep Learning, Give and Take Notice.

Throughout the month we have planned a range of book displays and special events to support your wellbeing, including free tasters from Apetito; Wellbeing MOTs; NHS health checks; mental health drop-ins; reminiscence sessions; Saturday games; talks by authors Alexandra Heminsley and Phil Hewitt. There will also be free taster sessions of Yoga with a chair and Positive Wellbeing from Aspire

For more information about Wellbeing Month, read our special Wellbeing eNewsletter or have a look at the library website for all our other wellbeing resources. This includes information about our resources for people living with dementia and our reminiscence collections.

Don't forget that volunteering can also have a positive impact on our wellbeing too!

Let your library improve your wellbeing this month - and every month.

Volunteer Forum News

A big thank you to everyone that came along to the recent Volunteer Forum meeting on January 14^th at Angmering Library. We had a great afternoon discussing a wide range of volunteering topics with representatives from 6 different libraries which included:

• Annual Volunteer Survey - the group welcomed the idea of an annual survey to give volunteers the opportunity to provide feedback about their experience and volunteer role(s). Watch this space for more information and for your opportunity to complete the survey later in the year!
• Volunteer Agreements and Risk Assessments - the group discussed and agreed that volunteer agreements and risk assessments should be reviewed annually, both as an opportunity to discuss any issues and as a reminder about what they include. We will soon be looking at ways that we can implement this.
• Role Specific Training - the group felt that more role specific training could be offered to volunteers throughout the year, either at their local library or at special events. This is something that we will discuss in more detail and consider for the business plan next year.

The forum is open to all library volunteers so please let me know if you would like to get involved or come along to the next meeting: christine.broggi@westsusssex.gov.uk

Melody for the Mind

Chichester Library will be launching its new Melody for the Mind session  on Thursday 5 March at 2.00pm.

Melody for the Mind sessions are informal, dementia-friendly singing groups, open to all and designed to boost mood and wellbeing by encouraging singing or listening to a variety of well-known songs and rhymes.

Sessions are currently held at Broadfield, East Grinstead and Southwick libraries and everyone is welcome to come along and take part.

An amazing team of volunteers help to support Melody for the Mind sessions in our libraries and we hope to introduce more new sessions in the future. If you would like to find out more about this very special volunteer role and what it involves, please contact Christine Broggi.

Volunteer Manual - Topic of the Month

Each month we highlight a different topic from the volunteer manual which may be relevent to your volunteer role. 

The Topic of the Month for January/February is Driving Information for Volunteers. A copy of Driving and Car Insurance checks for volunteers can be found on the volunteer webpages. This is essential information for any library volunteer that uses their own vehicle to carry out their volunteer role e.g. Home Library Direct volunteers who drive to deliver books to customers in their homes.

Volunteer ID Badges

Please don't forget to check the expiry date of your Volunteer ID badge and let your local library contact contact know if it needs updating or will need updating soon.