Friends of the Mayfield are delighted to partner with Write Club to launch an exciting new opportunity for young writers across Stirling: “Stirling, My Home” – an Under-18s Short Story Competition. Delivered in collaboration with Stirling Libraries and supported by the Stirling Council Community Grant, this project invites children and young people to explore creativity, identity, and place through storytelling.
Seed Planting Session
A big thank you to the children of Braehead Primary who visited our library on Monday and helped us out by planting sunflower seeds for the Secret Garden.
We planted our first batch of seeds collected from last year’s massive sunflowers and hope to have the same success this year. With more classes coming to visit next week, we may end up with an even bigger crop.
We still have plenty of seeds left so if you would like to give it a go yourself, please feel free to select some from the seed library at the desk.
Off the Page
Stirling Libraries’ Off the Page Book Festival brought three brilliant events to St Ninians this May. First was a children’s book club session, Kiddies’ Shelf, filled with creative writing, storytelling, and crafts made from recycled materials, run in partnership with The Girlies Shelf. It was such a special afternoon. A big thank you to Toni for all your hard work.
Alex reading to the participants of the Kiddies Shelf and discussing the illustrations
Next came a creative writing workshop led by Write Club, the weekly writers’ group based in the library. The session explored the theme of Home. Work will be featured in an upcoming publication (more on that later).
Finally, we rounded things off with an evening with author Karen Campbell, who read from her latest book and spoke thoughtfully about her writing process. Such a treat! So nice to see so many familiar faces and new ones, creating, sharing and learning together.
Karen reading from her latest novel, This Bright Life
Keep St Ninians Beautiful
Keep Scotland Beautiful Mascots standing in front of the Mayfield Centre
St Ninians enjoyed a spring clean this morning with the help of a group of young volunteers from Stirling Council’s Project Search. The team were out in force, tackling litter across the Mayfield area in the glorious sunshine, before heading to the library for a talk from the Waste Management team.
KSB Dog and Coffee Cup helping to pick up litter.
They learned about what happens to our rubbish as part of their work to create an advertising campaign that will let library customers know they can borrow litter‑picking equipment from the library whenever they wish. The mascot costumes were borrowed with thanks to Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Stirling office.
Although Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Spring Clean has now finished, litter‑picking equipment will be available to borrow from St Ninians Library all year round. Just ask at the desk for more details.
Carnival of the Wolf
Old photographs of St Ninians printed onto fabric by the Library Makerspace for one of the banners.
Friends of the Mayfield are celebrating securing funding to take part in this year’s Stirling Culture Night with their vibrant community project, Carnival of the Wolf. The award has opened the door for local residents to get hands-on with the festivities through a series of free creative workshops designed to bring colour, imagination, and community spirit into the heart of the town.
Crafters busy working on lots of colourful fabric
Thanks to Scene Stirling funding, members of the local area have been able to join artist-led workshops at St Ninians Library, guided by Art Inclusion artists Amy Crawley‑Wise and Audrey McMenemy. Individuals and participating library groups have worked together to design and create large-scale banners that will feature prominently in the town centre celebrations on 1 May.
Culture Night Poster featuring illustrations by Staci Rowlison
The workshops have offered a welcoming space for people of all ages and abilities to explore their creativity, learn new skills, and contribute to a shared artistic vision. For many, it’s also a chance to connect with neighbours, celebrate local identity, and take pride in shaping a key cultural moment for Stirling. Audrey and Amy have been leading groups across Stirling including the Hillpark Craft Group who are hosting a free drop-in for adults and families on Friday 24th at the Hillpark Centre between 4pm-6pm.
Once the festivities are over, our banners will return to the Mayfield Centre, where they will be displayed as a lasting reminder of the community’s creativity and collaboration.
As preparations build toward the Carnival of the Wolf, excitement is already growing for what promises to be a bold and joyful celebration. A full line-up of activities is available to view on: Culture Night Stirling - Stirling Events
For those keen to learn more about the legend of the wolf, some free tickets are still available for the Murray Cook talk on 5th May at the Mayfield Centre between 2-3pm. Bookable through Eventbrite:
Stirling Good Food Fortnight
Happy children with their free Lentil Soup recipe and ingredients courtesy of Breahead Community Gardens.
‘From farm fields to kitchen tables, Stirling has a rich food heritage and culture. This March is Stirling Good Food Fortnight - Two weeks of events, experiences and conversations that celebrate where food comes from, the people that make it possible and exploring what food means to us.’
Taking place 1-14th March across the Stirling Council area.
As part of the celebration, the Library welcomed our friends from Braehead Community Garden and the Stirling Library of Things, who hosted stalls offering free food packs, seeds, and helpful information. A beautiful display of recipe books and food stories from the ‘BIG TASTY’ collection was also available for visitors to browse and borrow. We were delighted that several members of the Friends group were able to join in and share in the festivities.
Good Food Festival display on show at the Library by a local Tuesday craft group.
Stirling Library of Things
Pictured is a stage with a display of items you could borrow from the Stirling Library of Things including camping equipment and a paddle board.
The lovely Ann Marie from Transition Stirling and Good Green Futures joined the Friends of the Mayfield meeting this evening to introduce the group to an initiative designed to make borrowing easier, cheaper, and more sustainable.
She shared information about the Stirling Library of Things, a scheme that enables you to borrow useful items they might only need occasionally such as DIY tools, gardening equipment, household gadgets, event supplies, and more. Instead of purchasing items that may sit unused for most of the year, people can borrow them at a low cost, helping reduce waste and encouraging a culture of sharing within the community. Annual membership is available for £9.95 and provides access to a growing collection of items.
Our members were enthusiastic to hear about the project and its potential to support people manage household costs or reduce their environmental impact. Ann Marie also highlighted the fantastic work happening at the Stirling Reuse Hub, where thousands of items are being diverted from landfill and given a second life in new homes. We were keen to learn about upcoming workshops and services such as Reboot which provides Stirling’s businesses, organisations and residents with a safe and secure laptop disposal.
A big thank you to Ann Marie for giving up your time to talk to us.
For more information you can visit slot.lend-engine.com/home-1 or visit in person The Stirling Reuse Hub : 4 Borrowmeadow Rd, Stirling FK7 7UW
Autumn Folklore and Herbal Health Workshop
In October, the library hosted herbalist, storyteller and author of The Time Traveller's Herbal: Amanda Edmiston for a special Autumn Folklore and Herbal Health workshop. Some of the group joined a packed out audience who came along to discover some of the benefits and stories behind the plants we use for health.
Amanda shared stories and focused on everyday household ingredients and free to forage, health-boosting potions and remedies to help us navigate the changing seasons.
You can borrow Amanda’s book at the library or purchase it online. For more information you can visit: www.botanicafabula.co.uk
A special thanks to Amanda for a wonderful talk. We hope to have you back again.
Mosaic Workshop for Stirling Pride
This collaborative artwork was created during a workshop led by Creative Stirling and artist Lou Carberry in partnership with St Ninians Library to celebrate Stirling Pride 2025. The mosaics were crafted by workshop participants and members of the Friends of the Mayfield community group, built on wooden bases kindly made by Forth Valley Men’s Shed and enriched with found objects donated by library customers. Archaeologist Dr Murray Cook also contributed fascinating artefacts from local excavations, including a fragment of the historic Stirling City Wall. Alongside the making, Lou Carberry shared an engaging talk on the history of the LGBTQ+ movement in Scotland, inspiring reflection and pride within the creative process.
The artwork will be on display at the Youth Space, upstairs in Made in Stirling as part of the Pride celebrations and later re homed in the Mayfield Community Centre.
Wanted! Bits and Bobs
To celebrate Stirling Pride this September, Stirling Libraries and Creative Stirling will be running a mosaic workshop on Saturday 13th September in St Ninians Library between 10-11.30. Artist Lou Carberry will talking through the history of LGBTQ+ people in Scotland since legislation and then working with participants to make a mosaic for The Mayfield Secret Garden. We are asking for found objects from the community to be included in the mosaic which can be donated at the library ahead of the workshop.