Local Libraries Help Residents Stay ‘Forever Young’
Thursday, July 31, 2025
Wakefield Council is helping residents stay active and healthy through the Forever Young initiative. Forever Young was established in January 2025 to encourage those aged 60 and over to take charge of their health and wellbeing.
Forever Young is a great example of how culture and community come together to improve lives. Our libraries aren’t just places for reading, they are spaces for people to come to connect, learn, and now look after their health too.
Councillor Hannah Appleyard
Cabinet Member for Arts, Culture and Leisure
This initiative supports residents to live healthier, more active lives on their own terms and in their own communities. By providing free access to activities and health checks, we’re reducing barriers and building a healthier future for everybody in the district.
Councillor Michelle Collins
Cabinet Member for Adult Health and Social Care
The initiative, which is a collaborative effort between Wakefield Libraries and Public Health, is making libraries across the district vital hubs for community health. Chair-based exercise sessions and gentle walking days have already launched at Wakefield, Featherstone, Hemsworth, Ossett and South Elmsall libraries.
Featherstone and South Elmsall libraries are now fully equipped as designated Well Points, offering a welcoming space for older adults to use Tanita scales to get weighed privately, and explore what local help is available to them.
Library staff have also received specialist training to deliver blood pressure checks, as part of the Blood Pressure Wellness Champions programme. This allows residents to better understand and manage their health in a familiar setting.
All events are free to book, and residents are encouraged to visit Forever Young – Wakefield Council or enquire at their local library for more details