Cheshire East libraries health and wellbeing offer
We provide a range of health and wellbeing services and activities. You can find health information and links to useful resources on our health & wellbeing page. For activities, see the individual library pages.
We subscribe to the national Mood Boosting Books and the Reading Well schemes for adult mental health, dementia, long term conditions, children and young people.
We also have a dementia pledge.
Reading Well scheme
Reading Well supports you to understand and manage your health and wellbeing, with book lists and information from health professionals and people with experience of conditions.
The books are available for anyone to borrow from the local library. You can also be recommended a title by a health professional to support treatment. Many of the Reading Well titles are available to borrow as e-books.
The programme is delivered by The Reading Agency in partnership with Libraries Connected as part of the Libraries Connected Universal Health Offer.
Reading well for mental health
Reading Well for mental health provides helpful information and support for managing common mental health conditions, or dealing with difficult feelings and experiences. Some books also include personal stories from people who are living with or caring for someone with mental health needs.
Reading Well for teens
Reading Well for teens suggests recommended reading and digital resources to help young people understand their feelings, handle difficult experiences, and boost their confidence. The books cover a broad range of topics such as wellbeing, anxiety, depression, body image, neurodiversity, bereavement, sexuality and gender identity, all within the wider context of mental health and wellbeing.
The booklist is targeted at teenagers (13–18) and includes a range of reading levels and formats to support less confident readers and encourage engagement.
Reading Well for children
Reading Well for children provides quality-assured information, stories and advice to support children’s mental health and wellbeing. It covers general information and advice about understanding and managing feelings, school and online pressures, bereavement, parental mental health needs, and living well with specific diagnosed conditions and physical disabilities.
The booklist is targeted at children in Key Stage 2 (aged 7-11), but includes titles aimed at a wide range of reading levels to support less confident readers, and to encourage children to read together with their siblings and carers.
Reading Well for long term conditions
Reading Well for long term conditions provides information and support for people living with a long term health condition and their carers. The booklist covers general advice and information about living with a long term condition, common symptoms and titles focused on specific conditions such as arthritis, bowel conditions, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Reading Well for dementia
Reading Well for dementia provides information and advice for people living with dementia, support for living well, advice for relatives and carers, as well as fiction, memoir and photographic books used in reminiscence therapy.
Mood boosting books
Reading Well mood boosting books is a national promotion of uplifting titles, including novels, poetry and non-fiction. The books have been recommended by readers and reading groups.
Macmillan also have a cancer support book list for libraries, covering information about cancer and people's experiences of living with cancer.
Dementia pledge
Our libraries are at the heart of the community and we want them to be accessible to everyone. For people with dementia, library visits and other library services can make a huge contribution to wellbeing. Our staff are trained in dementia awareness and will do everything they can to help.
Our offer includes:
- home library service for those who can no longer get to the library
- free books in a range of formats
- recommended/targeted reading lists including Reading Well for dementia and Mood Boosting books
- multimedia resources
- local & family history collections
- online resources that can be accessed in the library or at home
- free online access for members in the library
- reminiscence collections for loan to groups
- social & recreational activities (ask at your local library)
- information & signposting
- learning & study spaces
- meeting rooms for hire
- public toilets
- mobile library service visiting rural areas
To find out more, see library services.
Page last reviewed: 18 March 2024
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