Activities, Health & Well-being

Visiting in Person:

In line with the government’s staged roadmap for recovery, Birmingham libraries will reopen gradually over April, May and June. Some of our local libraries have already reopened for book browsing and computer access, including Kings Heath Library. Other libraries open for browsing can be seen here.

During opening hours, there is no need to contact the library in advance. Just turn up, browse, select, and borrow. At busy times, to ensure space for social distancing, you may be asked to queue outside.

Mobile Library:

Going places! Birmingham’s Mobile Library Service order-and-collect service is still running. Everyone is welcome to join the Mobile Library: you can register a new membership or you can use your existing Birmingham library card on the vehicle. The Mobile Library has access to the full library catalogue; it operates a free reservation service for any items you may wish to order. You can return items from other Birmingham libraries at any Mobile Library stop too. The Mobile Library vehicle is also fitted with a lift allowing for easy access. Let the mobile library service know what YOU want here!

Library Services at Home:

The “Books by Post” service has ended, but Library Services at Home is now open! To make sure that customers and staff remain safe, we are delivering a contactless doorstep delivery service to our customers. Read more about Library Services at Home here.

Further Information:

• Library of Birmingham website
• Tel: 0121 242 4242
• Email: enquiries@libraryofbirmingham.com

Forward Thinking Birmingham’s PAUSE is an emotional health and wellbeing service for:

• Children & young people under 25 years old who have a Birmingham GP
• Parents/carers of children & young people under 25 years old who have a Birmingham GP

The PAUSE team are experienced wellbeing practitioners & wellbeing volunteers who will take the time to listen to whatever it is that is troubling you.

Register and request a session:

• Online here
• Call: 0207 841 4470

If you require crisis/urgent support, please call 0300 300 0099 or 111.

If you are (or are caring for) someone aged over 11yrs, Kooth also offers support.

 

Running out of ideas for children’s activities over the Easter holidays? Birmingham Holiday Activities is a new programme for families in Birmingham set up to help all children, young people (and their parents) have fulfilling, active, fun-filled and healthy school holidays. Set up as part of the new Holiday Activities and Food programmes, Birmingham Holiday Activities (BHA) is the biggest scheme of its kind in the country, and is really excited to bring it to you and your family!

BHA believes that everyone deserves a good break and that school holidays are better when there’s a great choice of things to do to keep children and young people active, having fun, being entertained and learning new things. That kind of break can help recharge the batteries, give parents a bit less to worry about and get kids ready to go back to school again.

The new BHA website has over 400 different free ideas and resources for keeping children and young people busy. Activities include indoor and outdoor games; cookery skills; arts and crafts; sports, fitness and dance; health and wellbeing; quizzes; park activities and nature trails.

Following on from the earlier Community Catalysts Valuable not Vulnerable project,  we are keen to capture the stories of those individuals who have been shielding, their families, friends and volunteers who have supported them. We are hoping for a cross section of ages and heritages. We are exploring themes of identity and life before Covid19 and the skills, personalities and experiences that have been contained away but make a person valuable.

The stories can be collected in various ways and are sculpted through a set of questions. These can be explored by email, pen and paper, letters, telephone, zooms, 1:1 walks. Children and families can take part, we also have volunteers and bilingual speakers to assist. This project is centred around an individual approach with the participants leading the way.

The themes and interests of the individual can then be offered to be explored through different creative mediums working with a host of artists that include a photographer, textile artists and poets. The individual can share in the creative process or choose not to.

Artwork and stories that are created will then form an exhibition that will begin at Moseley Road Baths and other locations across the Hall Green Constituency, including being part of Moseley Festival in July.

The project is funded and nurtured through Brum Recovery, Moseley Community Development Trust, Community Catalysts and Moseley Road Baths.

More information on the Threading Tales together project and how to take part:

• The poster can be seen here
• Facebook
• Email: butler@moseleyroadbaths.org.uk or rhiannon@moseleyexchange.com
• Phone: 07926 999 442