Barnsley Museums look to combat loneliness over the winter period through new funding

Barnsley Museums and Heritage Trust has received funding of £40,000 on behalf of Barnsley Museums from the Know Your Neighbourhood (KYN) fund to combat social isolation.

Through the funding, Barnsley Museums has been able to arrange a variety of free events across the town centre to encourage people at high risk of social isolation to come together, take part in new activities and volunteering opportunities, and make new friends through the process.

Free activities include cinema screenings of classic films at the Parkway Cinema, history tours, a Natter café at the Eldon Street Café, and art for wellbeing workshops at the Cooper Gallery. 

Activities have been proven to be hugely popular, with hundreds of people already participating as we head towards the winter months.

Further activities are taking place on the following dates and times:

• Film screening for 55’s and over at the Parkway Cinema – Tuesday’s 12 December & 16 January

• Natter café at the Eldon Street Café – Wednesday’s 15 & 29 November

• Art for Wellbeing Workshops at the Cooper Gallery – Saturday’s 16, 23 & 30 November

• Eldon Street Tours, which explore the historic street and offer a glimpse into the lesser-known history of Eldon Street – Friday’s 24 November, 8 December, and 26 January, start time 11am.

Alongside the free activities, there is also a creative art project that will see several Memory boxes created by different organisations across Barnsley with the support of local artists. Boxes will be taken into Care Homes to support residents and brought to life with living history performances to evoke memories and start conversations.