STAR : News and Events

Riverside Refurbishments

During the early part of next year, Riverside Youth Centre will undergo

significant redevelopment. The planned refurbishments aim to improve

the look and the layout of the Centre, as well as improving accessibility,

specifically adapting the building to comply with the Disability

Discrimination Act.

The plans also include the installation of a brand new kitchen,

widening the corridors, putting in new toilets and creating new space for

user groups. In addition, there will be a low ramp connecting with the

fire-exit doors at the rear of STAR's room, giving better access for pushchairs

to and from the garden.

The work is planned to take place between January and March, and should be completed in approximately nine weeks. For much of this time STAR's Multicultural Resource Library will be open as usual, access being round the perimeter of the site rather than through the normal entrance. However, Riverside will be completely closed for a short period while the access road is being resurfaced.

STAR will endeavour to keep its users fully informed of developments, and

any alterations to resource library opening times will be posted on our

website. In addition, during the period that work is taking place at Riverside

we will offer our users extended loans, thus avoiding the need for users to

make returns during those periods when building work is taking place.

If any users would like to book resources in advance to support their topic

planning (e.g. the Chinese New Year Festival Boxes), please contact STAR

and we will try to make alternative arrangements for collection.

STAR Mobile Library

In the Spring of next year, STAR aims to pilot a mobile library, taking

our resources out to rural areas in B&NES. Our intention is to focus on

two areas to begin with: (i) Radstock and the surrounding area; and,

(ii) Chew Valley and the surrounding area. Each location will be visited

once every two months with loans being made for a period of 8 weeks.

Trinity C of E Primary School in Radstock has offered STAR the use of

their community space for regular library session. We have also had

some replies from members interested in using this service and we think

that there is enough demand to set it up. So far, we have not been

offered a similar space in the Chew Valley area, but are continuing to

make inquiries.

As it is not possible to bring the whole stock of STAR resources with us,

we will ask members in the chosen areas to choose resources from the

pictorial catalogue on STAR's website and order them via a “shopping cart”

system, either by emailing STAR or directly by filling in the online form the

week before the visit is due. STAR volunteers will then collect together

the orders and bring them on the selected date. Members will be able to

collect and return resources, get information about diversity and inclusion

and ask questions at the Mobile Resource Library sessions. If there is

room, we will also bring along a small selection of unreserved resources.

Non-members will also be able to join STAR during these mobile library
sessions.

Note: we would like to hear from anyone in the Chew Valley area who

could offer us a regular venue for the mobile library.