December 2023

18 Buckden Roundabout December 2023 Village News December 2023 We ’ ve enjoyed having our St Neots colleagues with us during November but, by the time you read this, they will have re- turned to their natural habitat … builders permitting! We hope you enjoyed your extended opening times, and the additional events and activities we were able to run with those extra hands on deck. With the new year approaching, it feels like a good time to take stock and plan ahead. So, we ’ d love to have your feed- back. What would you like to see in your library? Are there events or activities that you think would work well? Might you be interested in volunteering your time to present a talk? Or do you have a particular skill or interest you could teach others in a workshop or regular group? You can contact us by calling in at the library, or emailing StNeots.referral@cambridgeshire.gov.uk. Christmas closing It won ’ t be long before we are all singing festive songs and wondering whether we bought enough wrapping paper. Most Cambridgeshire libraries will be taking a break over the Christ- mas holidays and Buckden will be closed from 24 December, re - opening on Tuesday 2 January . Loans will be extended dur- ing this period to cover the closure. Meantime, we are open for you as usual.. Christmas story time and craft Brought to you by our local Child and Family Centre, this fes- tive story and craft will run on Thursday 21 December from 10 until 11am and is aimed at children aged 8 and under. Booking is essential as places are limited – please call the Child and Family Centre on 01480 358340 or 01480 372700 option 1 or call in at Buckden library. Tickets £2 per family. Terrific Tuesdays Our Tuesday morning Duplo and games for the under 5s con- tinues between 10am and 1pm in our children ’ s library with the usual selection jigsaws, Orchard games, building blocks and soft toys. Our final Rhymetime sessions for 2023 will be at 2.15pm on 5 and 12 December before we take a break for the school holi- days, returning on 9 January . Rhymetime is perfect for pre - school aged children, including babies. Rhyming language and songs really help with speech and early reading development. No need to book for either of these sessions - just drop in to meet up with other families. Children need to be accompanied by an adult. Super Saturdays Our popular Saturday morning Lego Club and Family Board Games Club continue this month from 10am until 12.30pm . Our Lego club will run on 2 and 16 December – open to all ages. Family Board Games will be available on 9 and 23 De- cember - suitable for ages 4 and over. Just turn up if you ’ d like to take part - children under 8 do need to be accompanied by an adult please. Knit Lit Knitting and reading – perfect! Our Knit Lit book club meets every other Friday from 7 until 9pm - the next meetings are on 1 and 15 December . New knitters are always welcome – just turn up! Time to apply for or renew your bus pass? We can help. To renew, just call in with your existing bus pass. If you are applying for your first pass, and are of pensionable age, you will need to bring proof of age, proof of address and your national insurance number. There is no charge for this service. Opening hours: Tuesday: 10am – 1pm, and 2pm – 5pm Thursday: 2 – 5pm Friday: 4 – 7pm Saturday: 10am – 1pm Village Hall, Burberry Road, Buckden Tel: 0345 045 5225 www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/library Godmanchester Foodbank Christmas Hampers donations Godmanchester Foodbank operate all through out the year supporting people in Huntingdon that are referred to them. Demand is high. Christmas is a joyous time of year but it can also be a financially demanding time for some. Each year the Foodbank try to bring some cheer to families that are struggling and hopefully we can dig deep as a village again to support people in our local area, as we have done for the last few years. If you would like to donate to the Christmas Hampers I will need your donations by Sunday the 10 th Decem- ber at the latest, so I can get them to the Foodbank in time. They have asked for Christmas chocolates, sweets & goodies in particular, as well as the usual tins & packets of food. Donations can be left on my porch at 53 Greenway, Buckden. You can text me on 07730478290 before you come to ensure I ’ m in. There are also collection points at St Mary ’ s church and Nisa in the village all year round. Save the Children Society Buckden needs a co - ordinator for the Save the Children Soci- ety. Please ring Jo McGregor 01480810518 or Stuart Morgan 01480 812911 for further information.