Welcome to the Friends of Goring Library

We are delighted to say that

Goring Library is OPEN!!

COVID-safe Kate and her host of willing volunteers are looking forward to welcoming you in when you visit us. 

We will be operating under slightly reduced hours, as follows:

Monday - CLOSED

Tue...9.30am-12.30pm & 2pm-5pm

Wed.......CLOSED

Thurs...9.30am-12.30pm & 2pm-5pm

Fri ...9.30am-12.30pm & 2pm-5pm

Sat.........9.30am-1:00pm

If you have any questions about the library service contact Kate by emailing kate.cheng@oxfordshire.gov.uk

or call her on 01491 873028.

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If You Go Down to the Library Today….

You’re in for a bear surprise! Come and visit some delightful miniature bears in the Children’s Library. Sue Humphries and Claudine Menke-Graham, together with many other talented and inquisitive inhabitants of the village, have been busy over the last few months making a variety of famous story-time bears. Sets of these are sent out to various schools across the country, with which Sue has links following her career in education. Through play and exploration, the children learn valuable lessons in story-telling and mathematics. It’s very helpful that Goldilocks and her ursine friends come in sets of three! Each year, the group undertakes a different educational and creative project. If you visit YouTube and search ‘An Exploration of Bones’ you can see more of the groups’ fascinating work.

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Summer Fun with Goring Library

 

Although we’re not yet allowed to hold events inside the Library, this doesn’t mean we can’t still have book-related fun this summer. Our main family event (suitable for children aged 5-10) on Saturday 24 July is based on the wonderful book ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’. Come along and join us at Withymead Nature Reserve for tons of outdoor fun, including pond dipping, making shelters and mud picnics for bears to name just a few. Tickets for this excellent event are free, but a donation would be very welcome. Booking is essential as numbers are strictly limited. Please call Kate on 01491 873023 to book and see the events page for more details.

 

There are still some things we can do inside the library and that includes borrowing books. To encourage children to continue reading during the holidays, the annual Summer Reading Challenge starts on 10 July. Wild World Heroes aims to inspire children to explore ways of helping to save the planet, with a focus on taking action for nature and tackling real-world environmental issues, from plastic pollution and deforestation to wildlife decline and nature loss.

See more on our events page.

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To run alongside the challenge, Kate has devised an excellent walking trail visiting the Top Ten Trees of the Goring Gap.  Trails can be collected from the library or downloaded here. Everyone returning a completed trail to the Library will receive a prize, kindly donated by Goring Hardware. See the Trail Tales page for more information

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The Friends have been supporting the library since 1998, when it looked likely that it might have to close due to Oxfordshire County Council budgetary constraints. Successful lobbying of the Council by founding committee members meant the library was able to stay open and it is now run by a single Council-paid member of staff and a large number of volunteers. 

 

The Friends provide financial support for the library which allows the library manager to buy more books. It also provides her with a part-time paid assistant who keeps the library open while she works to encourage more people to come to the library by organising events for children and adults in partnership with FOGL. She also visits schools and local organisations, ranging from the Cubs to the Macular Degeneration Society, to spread the word about what the Library has to offer them.

 

Check out our Upcoming Events to find out what's coming up at the library over the coming months and please visit the Join Us page to find out how you can get involved with the Friends to ensure the Library continues to thrive and maintains its vital role in the life of our community. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Warmingham’s Estate Agents, the Gatehampton Trust, the Edith Lucy Woodward Charitable Trust and the Goring Gap News for their financial support and encouragement of the Friends. 

 

I hope to meet you at future Library events or perhaps in the Library itself, as I also volunteer as well as chairing the committee.

 

Jacqui Gray

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FOGL became an HMRC registered charity in April 2019

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