Join celebrations fit for a King with Inspire Libraries

Nottinghamshire Libraries are a vibrant hub for the community, offering year-round activities for all ages and all occasions – and our new King’s Coronation is no different! Across Nottinghamshire our libraries will be hosting a variety of sessions to mark this momentous occasion.

Local communities are invited to indulge in complimentary drinks and cake at Coronation coffee mornings and themed Places of Welcome sessions in selected libraries. These include Beeston Library on Friday 5 May at 10:30am, Eastwood Library on Thursday 4 May at 2pm, Sutton in Ashfield Library on Friday 5 May at 10:30am and Toton Library on Wednesday 3 May at 10am. Places of Welcome is a nationwide initiative which was introduced to Inspire libraries in 2021 and has since grown to great popularity. The sessions offer refreshments free of charge with the aim of helping isolated individuals in the community to form connections with one another. The groups are volunteer-led, enriching the lives of both those who lead the sessions and those who attend.

Families are spoilt for choice as our libraries offer craft sessions, treasure hunts and takeaway packs for their smallest visitors. Activities include Coronation cress heads at Beeston Library (Saturday 6 May, 11am – 1pm), Coronation wreath-making at Huthwaite Library (Friday 5 May, 3:30pm – 4:30pm) and crown-decorating at Worksop Library (Saturday 6 May, 10:30am – 12pm).

Additionally, Inspire are delighted to introduce our new project funded by Arts Council England, Cultivate For The Coronation. The project aims to celebrate our new King’s passion for the environment by encouraging communities to engage with the great outdoors this Spring and beyond. Multiple libraries around Nottinghamshire will take part in ‘Grow your own sunflower’. Children will be able to decorate their own biodegradable plant pot, then plant their seed and watch it grow. A prize will be supplied for the tallest sunflower grown from the sessions, and our young gardeners can provide us with measurements and photographs until the closing date of 1 September 2023.

Inspire are happy to introduce a range of new micro-volunteering opportunities, offering people the chance to join the 850 Community Makers from the comfort of their own homes. On Monday 8 May, we encourage people to choose from seven challenges including reviewing a book for fellow library lovers, liking our social media pages, and submitting images of their celebrations to the Inspire Picture Archive. The archive preserves memories for years to come, providing the people of Nottinghamshire with valuable insight into life in the past. We urge users to entrust us with their celebration images over the Coronation weekend by sharing their street parties, family gatherings, community events and more.

We are also pleased that on Saturday 6 May and Sunday 7 May, the BBC is offering a one-off TV Licence dispensation which allows members of the community to enjoy both the Coronation and Coronation Concert in our libraries. Visitors are welcome to stream the events using our public computers during normal opening hours. Computer use is provided free of charge and is accessed by using your library card number.

Cultivate for the Coronation grow your own sunflower events will take place at the following libraries, with more to be added in the coming days:

Arnold Library: Thursday 11 May, 3:45pm – 4:30pm
Edwinstowe Library: Saturday 29 April, 6 May and 13 May, 11am – 12:30pm
Lowdham Library: Thursday 4 May, 2:30pm – 4pm
Southwell Library: Sunday 7 May, 11am – 2:30pm
Sutton in Ashfield Library: Saturday 13 May, 11am – 12pm