Carers Week and Loneliness Awareness Week at Inspire

Published 4th June 2026

With Carers Week taking place from Monday 8 June, and Loneliness Awareness Week beginning on Monday 15 June, we thought we’d take the opportunity to let you know about our incredible services available to everyone but designed specifically for carers, older people, and the cared-for community!

We run live music, community art, and gentle movement sessions for older adults at Retford and Hucknall Libraries as part of our Healthier Happier Connected Creative programme! Join us monthly for Songs & Scones, Connect & Create and Mind & Movement sessions at both libraries.

For film fans, we’ve got regular Dementia Friendly Screenings at Mansfield Central Library, with occasional relaxed screenings at other libraries across the county, thanks to our mobile cinema set-up.

Our Sing With Friends sessions (companion events linked with the Dementia Friendly Screenings) usually take place once a month at Mansfield Central, Sutton-in-Ashfield and Eastwood Libraries. Come along for an hour of reminiscence using music from the movies and other favourites - with chat, tea and biscuits!

We also have lots and lots of free community events taking place weekly or monthly in our libraries. From Places of Welcome, now running weekly at 30 Inspire Libraries across Nottinghamshire, and offering refreshments, community and companionship, to our Reading Groups, Craft Groups and more, there’s something for everyone so you can stay sociable and feel connected within your local community!

Browse all of our courses and events below, for more information visit the Carers Week and Loneliness Awareness Week websites.

Three people sat together enjoying a scone at a library Songs and Scones event

A college student wearing flowers around her neck, talking to an elderly resident.

An elderly person is painting with bright green paint.

Dementia Friendly Film Screenings

Dementia Friendly Film Screening of The Penguin Lessons (12) - Monday 6 July, 1:30pm at Eastwood Library

Dementia Friendly Film Screening of Sister Act (PG) - Monday 22 July, 1:30pm at Mansfield Central Library

College courses (16 - 24)

NCFE CACHE Award in Caring for a Child/Children (Entry Level 3)

City & Guilds Health and Social Care (Level 1)

City & Guilds Health and Social Care (Level 2)

Access to Higher Education (Health and Social Care)

If you're considering a career in nursing, midwifery, mental health, social work or occupational therapy, and you don't yet have the qualifications you need for university, our Access to Higher Education course is for you - and we're enrolling now for September 2026!

View our Access to Higher Education brochure for Health and Social Care.

Adult Learning Courses

Autism All About Me Book - Online Courses - Starting 4 June 2026

Mindfulness and Mental Health - Worksop Library - Starting 4 June 2026

Psychology - An Introduction - Online Courses - Starting 8 June 2026

Positive Psychology for Wellbeing - Online Courses - Starting 8 June 2026

Stress Awareness - Level 1 Award - Online Courses - Starting 5 June 2026

Reiki 2 - Worksop Library - Starting 4 June

Mindfulness and Mental Health - Hucknall Library - Starting 6 June

Growing and Brewing your own Tea - Feel Good Gardens - Starting 27 June

Discover a fabulous range of inspiring regular events on your doorstep at your local library – from reading groups and heritage, to activities to keep the children busy, we're sure we have an event to inspire you!

Search regular events in libraries.

Caring commitments and time restraints don't need to stop you from accessing our libraries!

Whether you're looking for somewhere informal to spend your days out, or some me-time to meet you where you are, we have just the thing! All of our libraries offer disabled access for those who need it, which you can find on the webpage for your chosen library. There are reading groups, Knit and Natter sessions, coffee mornings and more to keep you entertained during your visit, and friendly staff on hand to help you.

Short on time? If you can't make it into our buildings, you can find us at one of our many Mobile Library stops throughout the week, where you can collect your reserved items or browse our shelves to find the perfect book to destress at the end of a long day. You can also browse our online catalogue from home and we'll let you know when it's arrived, saving you even more time when every moment is precious.

Our home delivery service is also available to all, giving you the chance to let us select titles on your behalf. Simply tell us what you like to read, and staff from your local library will pick for you! We have a team of volunteers who will bring the items to you free of charge.

Find out more about the home delivery service here, or contact Ask Inspire on 01623 677200 for more assistance.

Story Snugglers!

This year Inspire, Mansfield Building Society, Trussell and Creative Lives are supporting crafters make beautiful hand knitted and crocheted story snugglers and to get creative for a good cause. This year's challenge is inspired by the National Year of Reading, giving children a warm woolly hug at story time and help spark a lifetime of reading!

Nottinghamshire knitwear designer Jane Withers has created a cuddly design to inspire everyone to get creative with wool. Her patterns are available free from libraries or you can download a copy from our Story Snugglers website page.

Why not find a regular craft group near you, then drop in to say hello - and get knitting!

Find out more about Story Snugglers.