1. Simply Connect! Libraries breaking social isolation
The REC Centre, Towcester Road, Far Cotton, Northampton NN4 8LG
Thu 12 June 2014 (0945 – 1545)
'Being isolated is equivalent to 15 cigarettes a day'
Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive, Public Health England
Public libraries role as safe, stigma-free places at the heart of communities is well-documented
and often mentioned – but what opportunities does this offer to tackle social isolation? What
other assets do libraries bring to the table? This one day conference will set the framework and
showcase examples of great, innovative practice of libraries helping to break social isolation.
PROGRAMME
0945 Registration and coffee
1000 Welcome address: Dr Akeem Ali, Director of Public Health and Wellbeing, Northamptonshire
County Council
1015 Icebreaker / networking activity
1025 Keynote address: Breaking or building: what does ‘social isolation’ mean?
Dr Alan Hatton-Yeo MBE, Lead Consultant, Communities for All Ages UK
1055 Coffee
1110 Policy context, local perspective:
- Iain Britton, Assistant Commissioner Justice, Office of the Police and Crime Commission,
Northamptonshire
- Becky Thornton, Development & Projects Manager, Northampton Volunteering Centre
1150 Social Isolation and local government – the Japan experience: Ms Kayoko Tamura, Assistant
Director, and Dr Hannah Waterson, Researcher, Japan Local Government Centre (London)
1215 Simply connecting through volunteering: first-hand stories
1230 Lunch
1310 Networking activity
1320 Social Mirror for Community Prescription: Gaia Marcus, Senior Researcher, RSA
1345 Connecting through shared sporting memories: Tony Jameson Allen, Founding Director,
Sporting Memories Network
1410 Raising awareness of dementia in children: Karen Morris, Health and Wellbeing Librarian,
Stockton Libraries
1435 Coffee
1450 Get involved and connect – libraries breaking social isolation: Anne Lovely, Principal Librarian
(North), Northamptonshire Libraries
1515 ‘Burning Questions’: speakers panel
1540 Final remarks
1545 END
All enquiries about this event: Jorge Solis / Principal Librarian-Transformation / 01604 366162
jsolis@northamptonshire.gov.uk / www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/libraryasset