Friends of Goring Library

Summer Reading challenge - 2025 was our busiest ever! 

The Story Garden

Stories and nature are two of my favourite things, so I was delighted that this year’s Summer Reading Challenge brought the two together.

 

The challenge was simple: read six books over the summer and be rewarded with a medal, a certificate, and even the chance to win a goodie bag. The goodie bags were generously supported by local businesses — The Hardware Store, Inspiration, Viv’s Café, and Wallingford Bookshop — and The Friends of Goring Library and Oxfordshire Library Service.

 

To celebrate the theme, we ran a whole series of fun, nature-inspired events. From a creepy-crawly yoga session with Emma, to a LEGO garden workshop complete with bird feeders, water features, and reading nooks, there was something for everyone. Our very first activity in the new library garden was mini-gardens in seed trays with Lisa. We also got crafty with Jane, making leaf-inspired cards (thanks to funding from the local Arts Society), and finished with a lively storytime with Jonathan, full of songs and puppets.

 

Drop-in activities kept children busy throughout the summer — from creative crafts to trails hidden around the library. My noticeboard behind the desk is now overflowing with the brilliant stories and pictures children made to earn their extra stickers.

 

And what a summer it was — 200 children signed up this year, our best ever! A huge well done to everyone who took part. If you joined but haven’t finished yet, it’s not too late: you can still pop into the library, complete your challenge, and claim your medal.

 

A big thank you goes to our wonderful volunteers, who helped with events, ran workshops, handed out stickers, and made the library such a welcoming place all summer long. And a special thank you to Krys for creating the beautiful new bunting that brightened the front of the library.