St Helens Libraries

03/06/2026

What a fantastic day we had on Saturday at St Helens Heritage Festival 2026, hosted by our very own Archive Service!

Thank you to all of our amazing exhibitors, performers, volunteers and visitors who helped make the festival such a success. It was wonderful to see Victoria Square and the Town Hall filled with people of all ages enjoying and celebrating St Helens' great heritage.

These photos show just a few of the many highlights from a brilliant day. Thank you to everyone who came along and showed such enthusiasm for our borough’s history. We can't wait to do it all again next year!

St Helens Borough Council

03/06/2026

🎮 Blender Group – Start Creating

You don’t need expensive kit to make something incredible.

🎬 Kane Parsons (aka Kane Pixels) started making films using free software (Blender) and YouTube tutorials.

His short film Backrooms (Found Footage), made on a laptop and uploaded to YouTube, gained millions of views and global attention.

That led to the current Backrooms movie, that is a currently at the top the box office, making him the youngest director ever to do so.

And it’s not just him…
🏆 Flow, an Oscar‑winning animated film, was also made using Blender by a small independent team.

👉 No big studio. No big budget. Just skill.

🖥️ Why join our Blender Group?

Because it’s never too late or too early to learn something new.

Whether you’re into:
🎮 Games
🎬 Films (even Backrooms-style horror)
🧱 3D design
💡 Or just want to try something different

This is your way in.

📍 FREE Blender Sessions St Helens Library
📅 Every 2nd & 4th Monday
🕔 5pm nst
🎟️Book your free space - https://artsinlibraries.sthelens.gov.uk/article/14402/Blender-Group

✔ No experience needed
✔ No cost
✔ Use our library computers
✔ Friendly support from an experienced facilitator

Just turn up and have a go.

Make something. Learn a skill. See where it takes you.

Arts in Libraries is funded by and supported by

Mon, Various, 5pm

03/06/2026

📣 Coming up in Rainford!

Our Outreach Team have two new groups starting this month at Rainford Village Hall. A new adult Reading Group starting tomorrow, and a Shared Reading group starting on 15th June.

📚 Shared Reading
📆 3rd Monday of the Month
⏰ 10:00am - 11:00am
📌 Rainford Village Hall

📚 Reading Group
📆 1st Thursday of the Month
⏰ 1:30pm - 2:30pm
📌 Rainford Village Hall

Come along and join in!

03/06/2026

👁️ 1st - 14th June 2026 is HiVis Fortnight, so let us highlight some of the great accessible features our libraries offer to help keep reading accessible for those living with vision impairments.

Did you know that all of our libraries offer collections of large print books? These titles are the same as their standard print versions but produced with larger, clearer text that makes them easier to read. 📖

If you prefer to read eBooks digitally via our BorrowBox app, you can also adjust the font, text size and spacing, as well as page colour and brightness, allowing you to customize your experience and make it easier to read. 📱

Don't let vision impairment stop you from going all in this National Year of Reading. Browse our 'Accessible Formats' collection or check out our Digital Library via our website or app now:
👉 https://catalogue.sthelens.gov.uk/



St Helens Borough Council Go All In 2026 BorrowBox LibraryOn RNIB

02/06/2026

This is a reminder to reserve your free tickets for our upcoming event next Tuesday, introducing St Helens Archive Service and the work we do!

Scan the QR code on the poster, or follow the link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1990382290009?aff=oddtdtcreator

02/06/2026

Another hugely successful Heritage Festival organised by our fabulous St Helens Archives Service. 🥳

We hope you all had a fabulous time - here's to 2027!

02/06/2026

‼️ Did you know that 72% of people say libraries are essential to their community? ‼️

At St Helens Library Service, we are proud to be part of that story.

The Reading Agency ’s Day (4th June 2026) is your chance to explore everything your library has to offer.

Find out more and join us!



St Helens Borough Council St Helens Wellbeing St Helens Family Hubs LibraryOn St Helens & Warrington Oddfellows Hill Family Centre Parr St Helens Park Farm Community Centre - St Helens Buzz Hub StHelenscdp YMCA St Helens

02/06/2026

June Spotlight Title: Am I Having Fun Now? by Suzi Ruffell

Anxiety, ambition, heartbreak and a lot of very good jokes. Am I Having Fun Now? lets Suzi Ruffell tell it straight, funny and honest, with big questions, brilliant guests and plenty of behind-the-scenes life. Hear it in her own voice or read or both... on .

Available in both and format - !
👉 b.link/StHLibsBorrowBox



BorrowBox Bolinda audio

01/06/2026

📚✨ WIN an iPad with BorrowBox this June! ✨📚

Get ready to dive into your next great read — because this June, with a BorrowBox loan, you could win a brand new iPad!

✅ How to enter:
1️⃣ Borrow any eBook or audiobook on BorrowBox
2️⃣ Do it anytime between 1–30 June
3️⃣ That’s it — you’ll be automatically

📌 Good to know:
Just one entry per account, no matter how many items you
You must be a member of a participating library and live in that area
A winner will be chosen at random after 30 June

🏆 If you win:
Your local library will contact you
You’ll need to respond within 7 working days to claim your prize

📩 Opting out:
If you do not want to be entered into the competition, you can email [email protected] to opt

So whether you love thrillers, romance, biographies or something new — every borrow counts!

📲 Start browsing and borrowing today on BorrowBox… your next read could win big! 👉 https://catalogue.sthelens.gov.uk/digital-library



St Helens Borough Council Bolinda audio

Please note: The competition is open to all library authorities within our consortium, Participating libraries include Blackburn, Bolton, Bury, Cumberland and Westmorland, Halton, Knowsley, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, Wirral.

01/06/2026

The Newton-le-Willows Neighbourhood Board has launched a new "Community Pot" grant fund designed to support community-led initiatives.