What’s on in York: Poetry by Heart – County contest final

Date: Sat 27 Feb
Time: 2.00pm – 4.30pm
Venue: York Explore Library
Cost: Free

County finals for the 2016 Poetry by Heart contest featuring students from schools in North Yorkshire and East Riding, with Colin Jackson, producer of Yorkshire Schools Dance Festival as MC, and writer Helen Cadbury, and poet and publisher Pauline Kirk on the judging panel.

Poetryby Heart Logo Ruth 6Poetry by Heart is a national competition designed to encourage pupils aged 14-18 and at school and college in England to learn and to recite poems by heart.  Not in an arm-waving, props-supported thespian extravaganza, but as the outward and audible manifestation of an inwardly-understood and enjoyed poem.

Poetry by Heart successfully engages young people from diverse social backgrounds and all types of school in personal discovery of the pleasures of poetry. Each pupil is challenged to memorise and recite two poems – one published before 1914 and one in or after 1914 or one from a special collection of World War 1 poems as part of the centenary commemorations.. Pupils choose these from the timeline anthology of over 600 years of poetry on this website. In 2015-16, for the Grand Finals, contestants will recite a third poem.

Poetryby Heart Ruth 6The competition is a pyramid of participation from individual classrooms to whole school/college contests, then county contests, regional semi-finals and the grand final, to be held at Homerton College, Cambridge on March 17th – 19th 2016. In the process, pupils foster deep personal connections with the poems chosen and bring poetry alive for their friends, families and communities.

This event is aimed at those aged 11+

Tickets can be booked In person at any library, or phone 01904 552828 or visit www.eventbrite.co.uk.

What’s on in York: Teddy bear’s picnic

Date: Mon 22 Feb
Time: 10.00am – 10.45am
Venue: York Explore Library
Cost: Free

Come and join our special story & play session today will have a Teddy Bear theme. Bring a teddy bear along with you – or another cuddly friend.

Teddy Bears PicnicOur story & play session has a special teddy theme today.
Come along and enjoy a story and find out about the new free Bookstart Bear sticker book to encourage your child to enjoy visiting the library and sharing books.

Suitable for Under 5’s and their carers.

FREE – no booking required

If you need more information please call us on 01904 552828 or york@exploreyork.org.uk

What’s on in York: Inclusive Sport Cricket

Cricket Paul 1Date: Thu 18 Feb
Time: 10.00am – 2.00pm
Venue: Burnholme Community Hub
Cost: Free

It’s a FREE fun taster day packed with a variety of cricket activities such as table cricket. There are no age restrictions, everyone is welcome to come and enjoy this day.

City of York Council Sport and Active Leisure Team and Yorkshire Cricket Board have come together to offer this opportunity which will hopefully lead to regular sessions.

For more information, please contact:
Rachel Hildreth r.hildreth@yorkshirecb.com or Hannah Higginson Hannah.higginson@york.gov.uk

What’s on in York: Dragon stories and crafts

Date: Tue 16 Feb
Time: 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Venue: York Explore Library
Cost: £2

Come along and join us at York Explore Library for some fangtastic dragon-themed stories and craft activities!

Chinese New YearCome along and join us at York Explore Library for some fangtastic dragon-themed stories and craft activities!

Suitable for ages 5+

Costs £2 per child

Booking required – places are limited.

For more information please call 01904 552828 or email york@exploreyork.org.uk

What’s on in York: Viking fun in the holidays

Viking Boy

Date: Mon 15 Feb
Time: 10.00am – 10.45am
Venue: York Explore Library
Cost: Free

Come and join us for a special Viking story & play session for Under 5s and their carers.

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Date: Tues 16 Feb
Time: 4.30pm – 5.30pm
Venue: York Explore Library
Cost: Free

Come to our [uber] cool reading group. Discover a range of Viking stories with people who enjoy reading.

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Date: Tues 16 Feb
Time: 2.00pm – 5.00pm
Venue: Haxby Explore Library
Cost: Free

Come and learn how to craft like a Viking

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Date: Mon 22 Feb
Time: 2.30pm – 3.30pm
Venue: Clifton Explore Library
Cost: £1.50

Aged between 5 & 12 years old? Love history? Enjoy listening to stories?  Being creative? Then this is the event for you.

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What’s on in York: New activities for the over 50’s

Date: Mon 15 Feb
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Venue: Energise.
Cost: £3 for half day and £5 for whole day

Eng-Age 50+ Activity Day 2016, helping you stay fitter for longer. This year you can bring a grandchild with you to share the taster sessions on offer.

Engage Paul 6York’s popular Eng-AGE 50+ Activity Day is returning this year for it’s fifth year for older residents who want to try different fitness activities and find out what activities are available in York. This year you can bring along your Grandkids to take part in a range activities together.

The event takes a friendly and fun approach to exercise and is organised by City of York Council as part of the Eng-AGE programme of activities for those over 50. It is a convenient and low cost opportunity for residents to try a number of different sports and activities all in one day under one roof. Now in its fifth year, the event offers 20 different sessions where individuals can participate in all activities without the need for a friend or partner to come along too, making it a great way to make new friends.

Some of the exciting sessions on offer include 50+ fitness, Nordic Walking, Climbing, Swimming, Gym, Tai Chi, Pilates, Aquafit, Hula Hooping, Futsal and many more.

This year the Eng-AGE 50+ Activity Day is dementia friendly and welcomes residents with dementia. Energise itself has dementia friendly status, with the swimming pool working towards becoming a dementia friendly pool. Eng-AGE fitness instructors and Sport and Active Leisure staff are also dementia trained.

The event costs £5 for the full day or £3 for a half day including a tea or coffee for adults. Grandchildren cost £2.50 for a full day and £1.75 for a half day.

Anyone interested can simply turn up on the day although advanced phone booking is strongly recommended for Pilates, tai chi, climbing, aquafit, gym inductions and swimming lessons, where places are limited.

For more information or to book contact the Sport and Active Leisure team on 01904 553377, visit www.york.gov.uk/eng-age or email megan.hale@york.gov.uk

What’s on in York: Seven killings by Marlon James

Pop-up reading group

Date: Mon 15 Feb
Time: 6.00pm – 7.00pm
Venue: York Explore Library
Cost: Free

Join us to discuss the winner of the Booker prize and Green Carnation Prize 2015. “A brief history of seven killings”

Seven Killings LGBTReading Group Ruth 7Come along to our pop-up book group for a coffee and informal chat about A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James, the winner of last year’s Booker Prize and the Green Carnation Prize for LGBT writers. Why not give the book a try and come along?

This event is at York Explore Library and starts at 6pm.

For more information call 01904 552828 or email: york@exploreyork.org.uk

What’s on in York: Chess club launch

Date: Mon 15 Feb
Time: 2.00pm – 3.30pm
Venue: York Explore Library
Cost: Free

Drop in to find out about our new kids’ chess club.  Learn a few moves and maybe play a game.

Chess PiecesDrop in and find out about our new children’s chess club.  This is a free drop in session with no booking required at Explore York Library.

This event is suitable for ages 8+

For more information please call 01904 552828 or email york@exploreyork.org.uk

What’s on in York: Come and celebrate the Chinese New Year

Date: Sat 13 Feb
Time: 11.00am – 12.00 noon
Venue: Clifton Explore Library
Cost: £1.50

Are you a cheeky monkey? Or a charming rat? Find out at our Chinese New Year celebrations and have fun with Chinese stories & crafts.

Clifton Chinese DragonDo you want to find out if you are you a cheeky monkey or a charming rat?
Find out at our Chinese New Year celebrations and have fun with Chinese stories & crafts.

This event is suitable for ages 5 – 12 years. We will be telling stories & making Chinese New Year related crafts. Come along and make a Chinese Dragon, and do puzzles, colourings, a Chinese character hunt and much much more….

Tickets are £1.50 available from Explore Clifton Library, clifton@exploreyork.org.uk, tel. 01904 552662