The document outlines several ideas for engaging older audiences at Brent Libraries, including health-focused events like talks, fitness sessions, and cooking demonstrations. It also suggests craft activities like knitting clubs, pottery, and jewelry making. Additional recommendations involve gardening workshops, author talks, and partnership programs with local organizations. The document reviews successful senior programs implemented by other library services and emphasizes establishing relationships, outreach activities, and sharing experiences to engage older community members.

1. Reading development ideas for
engaging an older audience in
libraries
Brent Libraries

2. Health Focus
 Health talks & Keep fit sessions
 Alternative health events improving awareness and
prevention
 Author & health specialist talks
 Improved selection of health books
 Partnership projects with Health and Sports teams

3. Craft work galore & board games plus…
 Crochet and knitting clubs
 Learn basic pottery
 Craft workshops for items for home use
 Jewellery workshops
 Scrabble, chess and quizzes

4. Food and appreciation Club
 Healthy food cooking and practices
 Natural foods; introducing new foods and herbs
 Alternative diets
 Author talks
Don’t forget great book promotion displays to
encourage borrowing

5. Gardening
 Growing plants indoors and outside
 Growing your own herb garden and medicinal plants
 Hosting gardening surgeries like gardener’s question
time on Radio 4
 Author talks
 Improved selection of gardening books

6. Partnership working
Work with local partners to
explore new ways of
delivering joint events
Focus on art workshops
 Arts and Heritage
Services
 Health & Sports
 Adult Social Care
 Equalities and Diversity
Team

7. Good practice from other Library Services
 Surrey County Council
 Birmingham
 Northamptonshire
 Staffordshire
 Bexley
 Havering
 Waltham Forest
 Lambeth

8. Good practice to focus on the health
agenda
 Arts and Older People with consultant Karen Taylor
 For best practice contact Surrey libraries. See also
their Reminiscence collection
 Successful History project in Birmingham : authentic
experiences of the community leading to common
threads of activity
 “Reggae bingo”, blues installation

9. What really works
 Establishing relationships between people, not
between people and organisations
 Projects where an artist or officer starts with the
relationships outside the walls of their organisation
and listens to the people they are trying to reach
 Outreach projects based on listening and sharing of
experiences
 What happens outside the venue in the early days
seems to make the difference

10. Northamptonshire
 Application for bus passes
 Volunteering for older people
 Tech clubs : younger people teaching older people
 Making links with Dementia Friends –Alzheimer’s
Society – trainings and talks

11. Staffordshire
 Health walks from some libraries
 Very popular local and community history events
 Contact scott.whitehouse@staffordshire.gov.uk

12. Bexley
 New handicraft stock
 ‘Stitch and sew’ sessions : handicraft, share skills,
chat etc.
 ‘Games clubs’
 All volunteer led
 Joint sessions with our ‘Pop in parlours’- ran by Age
UK IT sessions, Wii sessions etc.

13. Havering
 “In Stitches” and “knit and natter”
 Craft and chatter clubs
 Free but small charge for refreshments
 Volunteers ran by charity crafters
 “Young at Heart” groups –speakers from the local
community and other council departments
 Limited success with self-ran art groups
 Very successful “Living Gratefully” group –requires more
staff interaction
 Food and natter – sharing of recipes on a particular theme
 Allocated staff to start, welcome and make tea half way
through

14. Waltham Forest
 Partnerships with Museums and archives
 Commissioning of a local writer and partnership with
The National Archive
 Stories of Migration : monologue performance with
fantastic impact

15. Lambeth
 “Reminiscence” talks
 Elders talking to children – stories of immigration in
the 50’s and 60’s
 Film clubs (needs licensing)
 Music from the past
 Storytelling/poetry readings

16. How do we spread the word in Brent Libraries?
• Wider publicity through social media and existing
marketing
• Links with Adult Learners Week and other initiatives
• Staff signposting
• Tailored promotions and interactions with existing
groups
• Marketing leaflets within libraries & outreach -“What’s
On”