Earlier this year we were getting ready to start a new craft club in the public library in Irthlingborough, North Northamptonshire. Sadly, at the eleventh hour, that plan fell through and we had to work against the clock to find an alternative venue. Luckily for us, there was another public library, relatively nearby.
Our project is funded by the Northamptonshire Community Foundation, and when Irthlingborough Library became unavailable, NCF were wonderfully supportive and gave us time to find a suitable new venue. (Not as easy as it sounds!)
Where next?
Someone suggested we look at Raunds, a market town close to Irthlingborough, on the southern edge of the Nene Valley. Back in 2018, the now-defunct County Council decided to close the town’s small, but busy public library as part of a major reorganisation. Later it became a community library, run by volunteers, and it has been their support and enthusiasm that helped us turn our project around.
When we first visited Raunds Library we were immediately struck by how lovely the building is. On the High Street and close to the town centre, it’s well-designed, bright and airy, with lots of mobile bookshelves, which makes the interior space very flexible.
Shaping a plan
Before we begin a new project, we will always visit potential venues and try to speak with as many people as possible to get their thoughts and ideas about what would work best. It’s this on-the-ground research that helps us shape our plans.
In Raunds, because of time constraints, we had to rely on a meeting with the library’s trustees to try and assess the need and potential interest in a new social group. Luckily all the trustees live locally and are well-connected with their community. At the meeting they told us the library already had a very successful craft group, so they preferred the idea of a social club for adults. After a bit of discussion everyone agreed it would be sensible to start this on the same lines as the Thursday Club which we already run in Warmington, knowing we could adapt things as we got to know the people who came along.
Shout-outs
Promoting the new club was obviously vital, so we designed posters and flyers and the volunteers – who all live locally – did the rest. Of course, the library was a key part of this but posters were also displayed around Raunds and there were regular shout-outs about the club on various Facebook pages as well. The library’s trustees and volunteers weren’t just enthusiastic about the new social club, they all rallied round to help get it off the ground; and they continue to work hard to raise awareness locally.
Regular meetings
In a village setting, more often than not, people attending a social club will know each other. But in a town – however small – the social dynamics are different, so going along to a new social group to meet people you don’t know can be daunting. And, of course, recognising that you are lonely can be a difficult thing to admit as well.
We were never sure how many people would turn up for the first meeting. We knew the library volunteers had been doing everything they could to tell people about it, but would that be enough? On the day, we were delighted (and relieved!) when eight people arrived and numbers have been building steadily since.
Now we think the delayed start of this project has worked in its favour. Our funding window means we run the meetings on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month, as opposed to once a month as originally planned. These more frequent get-togethers in Raunds are helping people build friendships more quickly.
Beyond the library?
So far, most of the people attending the social club are library users, who heard about the club on one of their regular visits. But we’re now in touch with social prescribers at the two local GP surgeries and some of the sheltered housing complexes in the town, so we’re able to promote the club further afield. Regularly posting reminders on Facebook is also encouraging new people to come along.
Public transport around Raunds is better than many places in Northamptonshire but can still be tricky. Most of the people who attend the social club live in the town and walk to the library, drive themselves or get a lift with a friend
Lonely anywhere
The bottom line is that you can be lonely anywhere – whether that’s a town (large or small) or in an isolated rural location. What’s obvious from the chats we’ve had with people in Raunds is that half the battle is recognising you’re lonely and then finding ways to address it.
Over the weeks we’ve been running the club we’ve learned a lot just by chatting to people. Like many towns, the number of activities and social groups in Raunds has dwindled since the Covid pandemic. Either they never reopened after all the lockdowns, or reduced attendance caused them to close later. People feel their opportunities to meet and socialise have been reduced by the pandemic and they can’t see this situation being reversed.
Equally, changes in personal circumstances play their part. Several people are recently bereaved and have told us how hard it is to build a social life now they are single. Others are struggling with a gradual loss of mobility, which means they are getting more housebound and have to spend much more time alone. And for some, just the idea of joining a social club seemed almost too stressful to contemplate.
Loving the library
Interestingly, everyone in our Raunds social club thinks that meeting at the library is a big positive, because they all recognise it as a safe and familiar place. In fact, one person has told us it was purely because the social club was in the public library that she considered coming along. She decided to give it a try only because she knew if it didn’t look her sort of thing she could just pretend she was only there to change her books!
Final thought
Friendships are important for our mental and physical health, especially as we get older. And whatever your age, it can be hard to deal with a change of circumstance – whether that’s being single again, moving to a new area, or suddenly being no longer able to drive. On the surface social clubs for the elderly might sound a fairly banal activity but we should never underestimate the benefits they can provide.