Worksop Library became a Fun Palace 2022!

We were thrilled to welcome over 1750 visitors to our Fun Palace at Worksop Library on Saturday 1st October. This was our 5th Fun Palace since 2017 – with fantastic craft activities from regulars including The Harley Gallery, Mr Straw's House, Bassetlaw Museum, Worksop Townscape Heritage and Inspire Learning. From the Heart Charity volunteers helped young visitors make over 200 forkys throughout the day and Inspire’s ever-popular badge making machine produced 300 badges – that’s one badge a minute!

Nottingham-based charity Ignite! engaged young science enthusiasts with simple science tricks and the University of Sheffield’s Women in Engineering Society ran a popular snap circuit activity.

Library visitors also enjoyed performances from talented young musicians from the local area – before the arrival of some unusual special guests: Bill Oddity and Pongo – the world’s only chocolate egg laying 7-foot-tall baby Fudgerigar!

Health and fitness were a key part of the fun this year, with first time Fun Palace participants Worksop Town FC delivering fun football skills sessions and ABL Health keeping visitors active on their smoothie bike. We were also delighted to partner with the Aurora Centre, whose staff and volunteers delivered health and wellbeing Fun Palace activities just next door in the old library building.

The day was a great opportunity to promote some of the amazing things we do in libraries and showcase the skills and talents of people in our local community. We were able to use new pop-up cinema equipment to show LAND/ING - a film by Hetain Patel and the people of Nottinghamshire, filmed at Worksop Priory and created as part of the Mayflower400 commemorations. In the library’s gallery alongside our Twiddlers exhibition, it was brilliant to see knitting skills passed on to children who were keen to learn. What better inspiration than this incredible wall of 764 colourful twiddlers, handmade by Nottinghamshire crafters for local people with dementia.

The best thing was the whole day was free and we’d like to thank all Fun Palace Makers – groups, organisations, staff, volunteers and visitors - who made the day such a huge success!