Category: News

Our 2025 calendar now available

We have been overwhelmed with the quality of the photos submitted for the 2025 calendar. We had so many wonderful photographs to choose from it was difficult deciding which ones to choose.

This year we have four new photographers whose work has not appeared in any of our previous calendars.  How lucky we are to have such talented people living in the area.

We would like to give a big thank you to Richard Gresswell, Jill Ming, Penny Hayward, Geoff Taylor, Matthew Halstead, Terry Moore, Sandra Whitlock, Richard Childs and Julia Williams who have given us permission to use their photographs.

A special thank you to Geoff Taylor who again has helped to source the photos and prepared the picture files to make a single proof print.

At the moment the calendar is only on sale in the library but it will be appearing in the shops around town in the Autumn.

We are again keeping the price at £8.00 this year, but you are welcome to top this up to £10.00 by making a donation of £2.00 to Friends of Church Stretton library when purchasing. 

Each photograph is A4 in size and comes with an envelope suitable for sending the calendar through the post

This calendar makes a wonderful present for friends and family, as well as a treat for yourself.

All profits go to the library

For further information email churchstrettonlibrary@outlook.com

Library Budget Cuts – what can we do?

Date: Thursday 20th June 2024, Time:  7.30 to 8.30pm,

United Reform Church Hall

Please come along to our AGM to receive our annual report and detailed accounts. 

The main topic for discussion at this year’s Annual General Meeting is the review of library services currently being carried out by Shropshire Council.

Their latest Financial Strategy mentions making savings by reducing spending on libraries and leisure centres, which could include reducing opening times, fewer premises or increased charges.

What can we do to influence decisions being made concerning Church Stretton Library?

How can we raise additional funds for the library if required?

Please come to our AGM so we can share ideas on how we think we can support our local library and gauge how much support there is in the community for such an approach.

You can download the agenda and minutes for the meeting here

Following the AGM there will be wine, soft drinks and nibbles in the URC garden.

ALL WELCOME

A collection of resources to help people whose lives are affected by Dementia was launched at Church Stretton Library as part of Dementia Action week.

Left to Right: Pete Banford, Rawden Parslow, Sheila Davies, Vicky Munro, Hayley Reynolds (Church Stretton Library Manager)

The collection was purchased for the library by two local charities, Friends of Church Stretton Library & Stretton Dementia Friends.

The launch took place at the Memory Café, run by Stretton Dementia Friends, which meets once a month in the library. Pete Banford, Head of Culture & Communities for Shropshire Council and Rawden Parslow, Shropshire Council Principal Library Operations & Development Manager attended the launch and met with regular attendees of the Memory Café.

Sheila Davies, Chair of Friends of Church Stretton Library said:

‘We were delighted to help fund this resource, which would have been so useful to me personally when my mother was first diagnosed with dementia. This initiative will mean Church Stretton residents get helpful information early on and find out about resources that can help. I think all libraries should house a similar collection.’

The contents of the collection have been carefully selected to provide information and resources relevant to a wide range of the community, and not only those directly affected by Dementia. It includes:

Reading Well books: a collection of books approved by the NHS and Dementia Charities to provide information about dementia, practical advice for families and carers and inspiring personal stories written by people affected by dementia.

Books for children and young people: that aim to increase understanding about dementia and how they can help if one of their relatives has dementia.

Picture to Share books:   which provide beautiful high-quality pictures combined with a a small amount of text, to help stimulate memories and conversation for those in the mid to late stages of dementia.

Relish Jigsaws:  designed with a small number of pieces suitable for those with dexterity difficulties, pictures which stimulate memories and spark conversation and illustrations with vibrant colours to help with visual impairment.

Vicky Munro, chair of Church Stretton Dementia Friends said:

‘This collection is such an important resource and exemplifies our commitment to increasing awareness of, and information for, those living with dementia in our community. I’m proud to be formally launching this collection during Dementia Action week, when we are running over 14 activities for those with memory issues’

The books and jigsaws can all be taken out on loan from the library.

You can view the Dementia Collection here

How would you cut millions from Shropshire Council’s budget?

Shropshire Council has to find savings of £23 million in next year’s budget, in addition to the £51 million savings made this year. This is likely to affect non statutory services such as libraries and leisure centres.

Shropshire Council is asking residents to tell them where they should make savings.  The survey is lengthy and asks people to prioritise different local authority services.  We have written some Hints and Tips below which we hope you will find helpful.

We encourage residents to complete the survey. We also recognise that your priorities might reflect your own personal experiences of needing these services for either yourself or your loved ones.

Hints & Tips

Print or online – You might find it easier to print the survey and decide how you want to fill it in before entering online.  You can download a print version of the survey at the bottom of this web page.  Printed versions of the survey are available at the library and completed paper surveys can be submitted there.

Video – The 2 minute video in which Lezley Picton, Leader of Shropshire Council, explains how money is currently spent is well worth watching to give some context to the survey.

Statutory and non statutory services – Adult Social Care, Children’s Social Care and Housing Services are statutory services, meaning local authorities have to provide them by law for those who need them.  Most savings will come from other services.  Local authorities have to provide a library service as it is a statutory service. However, they can make savings by closing some libraries and/or reducing opening times.

Outdoor spaces – Where this is mentioned, it does not refer to outdoor spaces in Church Stretton.  Rectory Wood, Coppice Leasowes, Sandford Avenue Town Park, the two recreation fields, the cemeteries, allotments and the war memorials are all funded by Church Stretton Town Council and not Shropshire Council.

Prioritisation and suggested options – These two sections include questions asking you to prioritise different services, including leisure and library services.  Please make sure you answer these two questions.

Other questions

If you struggle to answer some of the other questions as you do not think you have sufficient information, you can always flag these as ‘neither agree or disagree’ and add a comment to that effect.

Leisure or library service? – Some residents might struggle to prioritise one of these services above the other, as they are both important to Church Stretton. Putting one close to the other in the prioritisation is the best you can do. 

We encourage people to complete the survey as it is important that the views of residents from this area are heard.  Please remember to include Church Stretton as your nearest town at the end of the survey.

Links to the online consultation and print version of the survey can be found at Budget consultation 2024/25 | Shropshire Council

A printed copy of this web page can be downloaded here

The consultation runs until 28^th January 2024.