Category: Wenvoe Community Hub

COMMUNITY HUB NEWS AUG 2023

WENVOE COMMUNITY HUB

Tel: 02920 594176 – during opening hours or wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Like and follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/WenvoeCommunityLibrary

For general enquiries you can email us at wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Summer Reading Challenge 2023

How to take part through the Hub:

  1. Tell us that your child would like to take part in the Summer Reading Challenge.
  2. We will get you signed up and give you a special reading record, which also has instructions on how to access fun reading activities online.
  3. The challenge is for your child to read six books over the holidays.
  4. Your child can borrow and read books, e-Books, and audiobooks of their choice. They can read anything they like: fiction, fact books, poetry, joke books, picture books and graphic novels all count towards completing the Challenge!
  5. We will provide special incentives along the way.
  6. Your child will receive a certificate for reaching their Challenge goal.
  7. There will be a special prize for each child who has read more than six books over the holidays.

 

Additional Summer Opening Hours

The Library will be open on Thursdays over the summer break for adults and children who wish to continue with their Sumer Reading Challenge or wish to sign up for it if they have not already done so.

The Hub will also be open. Don’t forget that as well as hot drinks we also have ice-creams, lollies etc. on sale.

We also have lots of new children’s books, plus toys, jigsaws, puzzles and games to amuse adults as well as little ones.

The opening days are 27th July, 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st August from 11.00am – 1.00pm

 

BFI Replay – 60 years of screen stories digitised and preserved just for you.

Exclusively available to UK Public lending libraries, BFIReplay is a FREE resource for users to browse and enjoy for leisure or study. There are thousands of digitised videos and television programmes from the collections of the BFI National Archive and UK regions and nations film archives, alongside contributions from other significant archives such as BBC and ITV.

The videos span six decades, from the 1960s to the 2010s, offering a glimpse into Britain’s past, its people, and places; recording and revealing an era of rapid social, industrial, political, and technological change. You can be sure of lots of nostalgic Welsh content too. To access the platform just click on the BFIReplay icon on the Library Hub PC desktop.

 

Date for your diary

Cuppa with a Coppa: 2:30pm Wednesday 30th August.

 

WENVOE COMMUNITY HUB

WENVOE COMMUNITY HUB

 

Birthday celebrations
The library volunteers got together to celebrate Sylvia’s 80th birthday with her.


Sylvia Harvey, one of the founding Directors of Wenvoe Community Library way before it became a Hub, was instrumental in ensuring that the village retained a library service.
New Patio
The patio to the side of Hub is now available to users to sit and enjoy a drink in the fine weather. We look forward to seeing you there. Don’t forget that we also do take-way drinks, ice creams and lollies.
Summer Reading Challenge – Ready, Set, Read.
Just to remind you that this year’s Reading Challenge is aimed to keep children’s minds and bodies active over the summer break.
Children will be challenged to get reading over the summer holidays. From July to September, young readers will be able to join a superstar team of athletes and their marvellous mascots as they navigate a fictional obstacle course. The Youth Sport Trust has developed fun activity cards, which, alongside the 2023 Summer Reading Challenge Book Collection will aim to keep young imaginations active over the summer holidays. By participating in the challenge children will have the opportunity to explore new reading material, develop skills and discover new interests. Alina Trigger


Amelia Farm Trust Visit
What a lovely morning we had with the Mother & Toddler group on Wednesday at the Amelia Farm Trust. It was a beautiful day with, thankfully, a bit of a breeze, so it wasn’t quite so hot.
We started off with a play in the playground and Ellis looked really cool driving the tractor. Then we set off to explore. The little ones were enthralled by the animals, although they were a bit surprised by how loud the donkeys were! It’s a great learning environment for the children to expand their vocabulary while having a great time. They loved seeing the alpacas and the sheep, who had recently been shorn.


A walk under the tree canopy was a bit of very welcome shade, especially when we came across the Gnome Village. Then a sit, a drink, and a snack by the lake, where we saw loads of beautiful blue dragonflies.
There were some very tired tots (and grownups) by the end of the morning, but it was great fun!
Anne Leslie

 

 

Coming Soon at the Hub

WENVOE COMMUNITY HUB

Tel: 02920 594176 – during opening hours or wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Like and follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/WenvoeCommunityLibrary

For general enquiries you can email us at wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Coming Soon at the Hub

Wellbeing Group:

2 pm Friday 3rd March

The Hub is more than a depositary for books, it’s about making connections in the community and maintaining people’s wellbeing. This is a self-directed, peer support group for carers and those they support who are living with dementia, and other memory loss conditions or mild cognitive impairment. Further details at the Hub.

Noson Lawen,

Friday 10th March in the Village Hall

Join us for a bilingual evening of mirth and merriment performed by local talent for your amusement and entertainment. Tickets £8 to include refreshments. Bring your own bottle and glasses (or a straw).

Cuppa with a Coppa:

2:30pm Wednesday 5th April

This is an increasingly popular event with the community where Stephen Davies, our Police Community Support Officer, talks about the latest scams and incidents that have occurred in the village over the last six weeks. Stephen will be on hand to listen to your concerns and to offer crime prevention advice. This is your chance to discuss any policing issues that may be affecting you as an individual or as a community.

Talks at the Hub

You will need to book early to get a seat at these popular events. Tickets are £3 and are available at the Hub.

March 7pm., Friday 24th-March

Russ Kielty, 217 (Dambusters) Squadron, Making the Difference

Russ will talk about one of the most famous squadrons in the RAF, formed during the Second World War to carry out a single special and dangerous task.

7pm., Friday 21st April

Gardeners’ Question Time with Mike Tucker, Joyce Hoy, and Gordon Jones. Bring your questions and specimens to our specialists who will be pleased to answer your horticultural questions.

Information at the Hub- NewsBank

If you are a library member, then why not access your newspapers online? All you need is your library ID number and your PIN and you have a wealth of material at hand. We have these details if you have lost them. If you go to the VOG Library site, you will find NewsBank under the heading of Electronic Resources. NewsBank is a free searchable platform that consolidates current and archived information from thousands of newspaper titles. Beyond the library, professionals of all kinds can use NewsBank resources to access useful information of value to their organisations.

Our New Shelves Have Arrived

WENVOE COMMUNITY HUB

Tel: 02920 594176 – during opening hours or wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Like and follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/WenvoeCommunityLibrary

For general enquiries you can email us at wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Coming Soon

Cuppa with a Coppa

2:30pm Wednesday 8th February

Wellbeing Group

2.00 pm Friday 10th February

Talks at the Hub

7.00pm Friday, 24th February. Anne Jones, Romance in Wales. Tickets £3 on sale now.

Advance Notice

Noson Lawen

Friday 10th March in the Village Hall

This is a bilingual evening of merriment and mirth where talented members of the community perform, and others make fools of themselves for your entertainment. Further information and tickets will soon be available at the Hub.

Our new shelves have arrived

We have been busy sorting our new shelving and we hope that you will call in and see how smart the library is now. The old shelves, apart from being heavy to manoeuvre, were not equitably accessible to our borrowers. A grateful thanks to the Vale of Glamorgan who supported our bid for funding the project.

To make space for the new shelves, we needed to reduce the existing stock by withdrawing many of the older books. Don’t worry, we left plenty of space to accommodate newer stock.

Most of our members now borrow books from the online catalogue where there is a huge selection of books from which to choose. If you haven’t yet viewed the catalogue, you will find it at the Vale of Glamorgan website. Scroll down to Libraries and click onto On-line Catalogue on the left of the screen. You will be asked for your library card number and your PIN number (the 4-digit number you were given on registration). Just let us know if you have lost these. Remember to ask for your chosen books to be sent to Wenvoe. Many borrowers have also downloaded PORI, the new app from Welsh Libraries which will allow you to access Welsh public libraries catalogues from your mobile device.

If you don’t feel comfortable ordering your books online, our volunteers are always happy to sit with you and search the catalogue for books you might enjoy

Some new titles this month

We have a selection of new craft and children’s books this month as well as your favourite crime and fiction titles. Here are a few to whet your appetite:

Adult Crime, Thrillers and Fiction

James Patterson – The Horse Woman

David Steele – Invisible

David S. Ross – Dashboard Elvis is Dead

Sheila Norton – Secret of Angel Cove

Simon Booker – Three’s a Crowd

Local History

Glyn M Jones – Sully – a Village

 

First Year’s Progress

WENVOE COMMUNITY HUB

Tel: 02920 594176 – during opening hours or wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Like and follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/WenvoeCommunityLibrary

For general enquiries you can email us at wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Annual Report

We opened the new Hub in May 2022, and we thought you should know how we are progressing in our first year.

Our strategic plan is a Hub which is: innovative, central to the Village, a focal point for leisure, information, and activities and inspires a love of books. It should be highly regarded by our community, supported, and respected by our Community Council and fund raising.

Since we reopened, we have increased our registrations by 113 new members. More people are borrowing books, meeting up with their friends, attending groups and events with the latest figure of 1,064 visitors in the month of November. We are now officially counted as the busiest Community Library per capita in the Vale of Glamorgan.

The Hub directors and workers are all volunteers, without whom the Hub would not function. Although we have attracted several new members to the team, we are always looking for new volunteers to keep abreast of our growing services and provision.

As well as our increase in borrowers, we have developed several groups. Clwb Clonc, our group for those wishing to practise their Welsh language skills, has so increased in membership that we have to hold it in two separate sessions on Mondays. Building on this format, we have developed a French and an Italian group. The Stitches group are busy with their sewing and wools crafts churning out wonderful projects, many of which they have donated to the Hub. The notorious Silver Foxes continue with their antics on Fridays.

Reading helps improve children’s vocabulary, communication, writing and grammar skills. We hope to make a difference to their development by encouraging children to read. Starting with our Babies and Toddlers group when Bernie and Jill lead the little ones in Storytime, songs, and rhymes and where we see tiny tots begin to appreciate the value of books. The playgroup also visits us regularly as borrowers and we are delighted to make Thursdays available to Wenvoe school when every child in the school regularly visits and borrows books from the library. Alina, our Schools Liaison Volunteer organises this as well as the Summer Reading Challenge.

Our Police Community Support Officer joins us every six weeks when we have a Cuppa with a Coppa. This provides us with a chance to discuss any policing issues that may be affecting us as individuals or as a community. Monthly talks at the Hub are always a sell-out and we have an interesting variety of topics to which you can look forward in 2023. Our most recent initiative is the Wellbeing group for carers and those, they support who are living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment.

The Hub is helping to support its community through the cost-of-living crisis by offering a free warm welcome. We have a supply of board games and activities in readiness for those of you who don’t want to heat your homes when you can visit a warm and friendly environment and meet up with your friends.

Our strategic view for 2023 is to continue to re-structure our book content to be more what our readers want. To seek more volunteers through personal contact and promotion. To continue to work with Wenvoe Primary School and Wenvoe Playgroup. To manage our finances wisely – keep costs down and raise income. Also, to organise another Village Show

Coming up in the New Year:

Wellbeing Group: 2pm Friday 6th January

 

Talks at the Hub-Steve Jones – Brunel in south Wales. 7pm on Friday January 27th. Tickets are £3 and on sale now

Cuppa with a Coppa: TBA

 

 

A Busy Year At The Hub

WENVOE COMMUNITY HUB

Tel: 02920 594176 – during opening hours or wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Like and follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/WenvoeCommunityLibrary

For general enquiries you can email us at wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

It’s been a busy year at the Hub, welcoming the community as they emerged from Lockdown. We have started several new initiatives and built on previous successes. Clwb Clonc, Silver Foxes and Babies and Toddlers have grown in numbers and enabled members to meet new people that they can now call friends. We look forward to our next Wellbeing group and Cuppa with a Coppa meetings in the new year.

Each of our Talks at the Hub has been a sell-out, the Village Show demonstrated how much talent we have in our community, and our new language conversation groups are successful.

Our events and activities couldn’t have been achieved without the hard work of our committed volunteers who are always happy to help and welcome visitors to the Hub.

Volunteer quotes of the month

I enjoy being part of a group in giving back to the community that which I have received.

The success of the Silver Foxes brings a diverse range of elderly guys together to chat about anything that has been common in their lives.

It’s a joy seeing so many children bringing their grown-ups in.

Pre-loved books

Thanks to all who have, over the year, donated us their pre-loved books. We are still accepting small quantities of books that are in excellent condition.

Christmas Raffle

Our Christmas raffle tickets are for sale at the Hub for two lovely M&S hampers full of Christmas goodies. The draw will take place on Saturday 17 December at 12 noon.

Talks at the Hub

Brunel in South Wales – Steve Jones

Friday 27th January at 7.00pm

Tickets are £3.00 and will be for sale from the Hub in the New Year

Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s work in South Wales has been largely overlooked. Yet South Wales provided the landscape in which many of his innovative works were pioneered and Brunel the engineer is represented there at virtually every stage of his career. Many of these engineering landmarks survive and are still in use to this day.

Born in Cardiff, Stephen K. Jones writes and lectures on local and industrial history, photography and Brunel and his works. Steve will be examining the achievements and legacy of Brunel in South Wales. He will look at railways, docks, piers, and other connections, including Brunel’s great ships which had strong links with South Wales, despite not having been built there.

Christmas Opening Hours

The Hub will be closed to the public for Christmas from Wednesday 21st December and will open again on Tuesday 3rd January.

Hub directors and volunteers wish you a joyful holiday and a happy and healthy New Year.

 

A Warm Welcome At The Hub

WENVOE COMMUNITY HUB

Tel: 02920 594176 – during opening hours or wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Like and follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/WenvoeCommunityLibrary

For general enquiries you can email us at wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

COME OUT OF THE COLD FOR A WARM WELCOME AT THE HUB

It is reported that even with the recently announced government measures, 1 in 4 people will find it difficult to heat their homes sufficiently this winter.

The Hub is helping to support its community through the cost-of-living crisis by offering a free warm welcome. You can stay as long as you like during opening hours in a cosy, accessible, and supportive environment. Feel at ease, meet up with neighbours and have a chat. We have free WIFI, and the use of computers and tablets. You can book free one-to-one sessions to come to terms with your digital devices or trace your family history. We even have a selection of board games and activities to keep you all occupied and of course, lots of books. Our friendly volunteers are always at hand to give you a warm-hearted welcome at the Hub.

WELLBEING GROUP

We have been asked if we could start a support group for carers and those, they support who are living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment.

We are pleased to do so, with the following arrangements: This is a self-directed, peer support group for carers and those they support who are living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment. The group will be user-led and aims to provide an opportunity for carers to share lived experiences and relax in a supportive and discrete environment. The group will meet on Friday afternoons when the Hub is closed for other activities. Initially, we were thinking of meeting monthly, but this can be increased according to need. The first session will be at 2p.m. on Friday 25th November at the Hub

Although the group will be led by carers, we have experienced volunteers at hand who have worked with people living with dementia. As well as serving teas and coffee, depending on the dynamics and needs of the group, our volunteers are looking forward to engaging with the people whom you support in a variety of stimulating and memory-related activities.

If you are interested in joining the group, please ask a volunteer to add your contact details to the list.

Talks at the Hub -7pm Friday 25th November.

To help commemorate the month of Remembrance, Andy Kellet, an expert on WW1 and an experienced tour guide of the battle sites, will give November’s Hub talk entitled: Oh, What a Lovely War? The reality of World War 1. Tickets are £3 and available in the Hub. Our talks are very popular so book early to avoid disappointment.

A Cuppa with a Coppa at the Hub 2pm Wednesday 16th November

Our Police Community Support Officer Stephen Davies has been moved to cover Cowbridge. We will

be so sorry to see him leave. However, he will be at the Hub to introduce Adam Wood our new PCSO. They will be bringing along: –Mike Clogg, Vale Council operational manager for neighbourhood services and transport and Gary Williams from South Wales Police Go Safe road safety.

They will all be on hand at the Hub to listen to your concerns and offer advice

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN OUR TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS?

What is a volunteer at the Hub? A volunteer is someone like you who registers with Wenvoe Community Library Hub to take on a defined role and offers their time, skills, and expertise free of charge to keep the Hub open.

Do I need qualifications? No qualifications are required. You will be fully trained in whichever area you choose to volunteer.

Why volunteer? Volunteering enables you to play an active role in the community, meet new people, make friends, learn new skills, and make a difference.

How often do I work? You can work as many or as few hours as you wish. Some volunteers work several sessions a week and others work two sessions a month. Volunteering with us is designed to be as flexible as possible to accommodate your other commitments.

What will I do? You can either work on librarian duties or work in the café. Most volunteers choose to do a bit of both. Depending on the talents and experience you may bring, you might also want to be involved in participating in other activities such as social media, web design, planning events, fundraising and so on …….

How we recruit: Email us wenvoelibrary@ outlook.com . You will be asked to complete a short registration form and meet up for an informal chat with the Volunteer Coordinator who will set up your induction and training.

We look forward to meeting you

 

Village Show and Language Groups

WENVOE COMMUNITY HUB

Tel: 02920 594176 – during opening hours or wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Like and follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/WenvoeCommunityLibrary

For general enquiries you can email us at wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Village Show

Following a successful village show, we are pleased to announce that Gail Griffiths was the overall winner with Liz Jones second and Ann Daniel third. Given that there were more than 155 entries, the full list of results is available to view in the library Hub along with the certificates which are held there for collection

New Weekly Language Groups

Our language conversation groups are for those interested in learning, improving, or maintaining another language.

These are self-led sessions, free and open to speakers and learners at all levels. Just come along and improve your conversational skills in a friendly environment.

French: Tuesdays 11.00am, commencing 4th October.

Italian: Wednesdays at 1.00pm, commencing 5th October.

If you would like to start another language group, please email us, or call in to the Hub during opening hours.

Getting the most from your tablet/iPad or Smartphone – Book a place at the desk for a free one-to-one session.

New Books

These are just some of this month’s new titles:

Crime and Thrillers:

Good Cop, Bad Cop by Simon Kernick

The Stranded by Sarah Daniels

Fiction

Beach House Summer by Sarah Morgan

The Baker’s Girl by Gracie Hart

A Daughter’s Destiny by Rosie Goodwin

To Fill a Yellow House by Sussie Annie

One Drop by Peter Kalu

You are Here by Eva Woods

Autobiography

The Betrayer by Guy Stanton

Non-fiction

The Musical Child by Joan Koeig

We also have several new English and Welsh

children and teenage titles.

New on BorrowBox.

Borrow eBooks and eAudiobooks are free from your library using the BorrowBox app. or go online to the Vale of Glamorgan library page. Select your reading from this month’s selection of crime and thrillers from jaw-clenching suspense from bestselling author James Patterson, a weird and wonderful mystery from Peter Ackroyd, 1970s detective drama from Lynda La Plante and spinechilling Scandi-Noir from acclaimed author Anders de la Motte.

As Summer Reading Challenge draws to a close, treat your back-to-school children with classroom drama in Enid Blyton’s Naughtiest Girl In The School, magic and mystery in Leigh Bardugo’s wildly popular Shadow and Bone series and a heartfelt tale of a wartime zoo in Phil Earle’s award -winning When the Sky Falls.

Time to try something new? Look no further than Heavily Meditated, the down-to-earth guide from wellness expert Caitlin Cady. A must-listen for anyone interested in the life changing practice of meditation. Anyone who made it to the National Eisteddfod
earlier this year had a brilliant time. There is a list in the Hub showing the most popular Welsh language titles on BorrowBox from the last three months.

Focus on groups at the hub

WENVOE COMMUNITY HUB

Tel: 02920 594176 – during opening hours or wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Like and follow us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/WenvoeCommunityLibrary

For general enquiries you can email us at wenvoelibrary@outlook.com

Focus on groups at the hub

For the next few months, we shall be highlighting the activities of the various groups who meet regularly in the Hub

Clwb Clonc – 11 am on Mondays in the Hub

Eisiau magu hyder i ddefnyddio’r iaith? Ydych chi’n siarad Cymraeg ond wedi colli’r hyder i ddefnyddio’r iaith? Neu Ydych chi’n dysgu Cymraeg ac eisiau ei defnyddio? Cyfle gwych i chi allu ymarfer y Gymraeg gyda phobl eraill sydd eisiau magu hyder i siarad Cymraeg.

Do you want to build your confidence in using the Welsh language? Do you speak Welsh but have lost the confidence to use the language? Or are you learning Welsh and want to use it? This is a great opportunity for you to be able to practice the Welsh language with other people who want to gain confidence in speaking Welsh.

Under the umbrella of the old library, our weekly Welsh conversation group first met about six years ago with the aim of enabling first-language speakers and learners at all levels to maintain and develop their confidence in conversing in Welsh. We now meet in the Hub allowing learners the opportunity to improve their Welsh language skills in a welcoming environment. We have close links with tutors and learners from the Welsh learning centre in Palmerston, Barry, who frequently attend.

This isn’t a formal class setting and although help is at hand from more experienced speakers, the ‘grammar police’ are not going to pounce on learners mistakes. It’s just a chance to converse through the medium of Welsh at one’s own level within a supportive group. We meet throughout the year at 11 am on Mondays so just turn up for a warm welcome.

To help develop your reading skills we hold a variety of Welsh language books in the Hub for adults and children, especially easy reads for learners.

The group is very enthusiastic, and plans are in hand to put on a bilingual Noson Lawen (an evening of mirth) to celebrate St David’s Day.

Some members’ comments:

  • I love Clwb Clonc, it helps with my Welsh learning enormously. The group is so supportive, and you can buy a great cup of coffee.
  • I really enjoy attending Clwb Clonc. Speaking with others has helped me to improve my Welsh. Everyone is so welcoming, and it is a great opportunity to meet others who want to speak Welsh.
  • I say go for it. A hub in a village to meet Welsh language fans. A chance to join in and enjoy a cuppa with friends.
  • Clwb Clonc is a good start to the week.
  • Great to meet so many people keen to learn/take up Welsh. Hwyl.
  • I really enjoy this group, it is friendly and supportive

• I’ve been learning Welsh for five years and attend Clwb Clonc every week. It’s very enjoyable and has positively helped my progression.

Other language groups

Building on the success of Clwb Clonc, we have been approached to host similar language conversation groups e.g., French, German, and Italian. So far, we have enough for an Italian group which we hope to commence in the Autumn. If you are interested in attending a language group, please email us or leave your details at the Hub.

 

A Cuppa with a Coppa at the Hub

Stephen Davies our Police Community Support Officer met up with us in July to address any policing issues we had as a community. This was a well attended group. The main message we received was that the police will remain unaware of local crimes and incidents if we fail to report them. PCSO Davies urged us to report any non-urgent incident either by phone to 101 or by leaving a message online at

https://www.south-wales.police.uk/ro/report/ describing the incident.

Next meeting 2 p.m., Wednesday, September 14th at the Hub when PCSO Davies will give a report of incidents across the whole village and take time to listen to your concerns

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