PROJECT UPDATE JANUARY 2012
- Reading groups have been provided in community and day care settings as well as residential homes and to groups such as Speech After Stroke and the Alzheimer’s Society.
- Over 800 older people have benefited in over 70 settings, with over 50% of settings becoming regular borrowers of resource boxes and running sessions themselves. 66 themed resource boxes have now been created that settings can borrow, with stock purchased for a further 6 boxes. Boxes include books, music, pictures, quizzes and artefacts to unlock memories, and cover a range of interests such as the garden, food and reminiscing.
- Care Home, Day Service, and Library staff have now received training through the project. 52 training sessions have been provided, attended by over 200 people including volunteers from Speech After Stroke. Further training sessions are scheduled. The project is fairly confident that the reading groups for older people project will be sustained through the Libraries Service.

A project worker will deliver reading sessions to older people in care settings using themed resource packs produced for this project. The topics centred on a book or poem will provide opportunity for social interaction. Further staff will be trained up to carry on the work once the project comes to an end.