EACH week the St Helens Star publishes the community news section within our weekly paper.

Here is last week's community news and all the events taking place.

Play accordion?

FANCY playing the accordion? Then head along to Park Farm Community Centre at Kentmere Avenue, Carr Mill every Monday from 1 to 4pm. All are welcome, players or learners, £4 per session, including refreshments. To enquire, contact Barry on 07565 947162.

Book Stop talk

ST HELENS Bookstop will be welcoming Barbara Attwood on Saturday, July 13 for a signing of her non-fiction release, Blue Plastic Cow, detailing one woman’s search for her birth mother.

This is the true story of Barbara’s adoption by a family who lived in a town on the banks of the River Mersey.

At age 12, after Barbara accidentally discovered that she was adopted, her mother Florrie lied to her about her birth mother, Carole, and the facts surrounding her birth.

As a teenager, unable to deal with the shock of what she’d learned, she rebelled against her parents, finding solace in the exciting 1960s’ Liverpool music scene.

Against her parents’ wishes, she got a job in Liverpool as a secretary. She went to lunch time sessions at the Cavern where she saw The Beatles, and often stayed out late in Liverpool drinking.

Decades later, Barbara discovered tear-stained letters from her birth mother, containing heart-breaking words that would send her on a challenging 26-year quest to find Carole and discover the secret of the blue plastic cow.

Come to The Book Stop from 1pm on Saturday, July 13 to meet Barbara and chat all about her book

Men’s club

N Andy’s Man Club has been launched in St Helens.

The events - which offer support for men who have been facing mental health challenges - take place at FC St Helens at Windleshaw Sports Club, St Helens with people gathering from 6.30pm ahead of session start times at 7pm.

Men are invited to come down, get a cuppa and there will be people there to offer support.

For more information visit info@andysmanclub.co.uk

Technical help

Need some tech help? Join St Helens Library service’s #DigitalDropIn sessions with the awesome volunteers from Include-IT Mersey!

Get all your tech questions answered and the support you need. Includes email and social media set-up; phone, tablet and laptop support; and help with accessing online GP, NHS, and government services.

When & Where:

- Chester Lane Library: Fridays, 2-4pm

- St Helens Library: Thursdays, 10.30am–12.30pm

- Newton-le-Willows Library: Mondays, 2-4pm - Thatto Heath Library: Tuesdays, 10am–noon

Family fun

A FREE morning of fun for families will take place this July for the grand opening of the borough’s third and final Family Hub.

Featuring circus skills, arts and crafts, facepainting, a silent disco, entertainment courtesy of local charity, Wonder Arts, and a free lunch - the event has been put together as a way of celebrating Newton-le-Willows Children Centre’s transformation into a Family Hub which brings together a broad range of services for children and their families, all under one roof.

Joining Sutton and Central Link St Helens Family Hubs which have opened in the last 12 months, the Patterson Street council-run facility in Newton-le-Willows will focus on the first 1,001 days of a child’s life and support families with children up to 19 years of age - or 25 for young people with SEND.

A range of services will be available at the centre, with antenatal care, health visiting, infant feeding and parenting and child development programmes among an extensive list of support on offer.

Free popular weekly classes held at Newton Family Hub, designed for parent/carer and child bonding, include Little Wizz Kids - a fun, stimulating and interactive play session for new-born babies up to children aged 36 months; Let’s Get Ready for Nursery - which supports parents or carers and their children to become school ready through play and helps practical tasks; as well as Crafty Kids – enabling children to explore their creative side, explore new ideas, be creative and interact with their peers through fun and interactive arts, crafts and messy play.

The opening of Newton Family Hub (WA12 9PZ) will take place on Saturday, July 13 from 10am-noon. This is free event to attend, but places must be booked in advance on Eventbrite.

To find out more, including class timetables and opening days, visit sthelensfamilyhub.sthelens.gov.uk