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Every April, Cityread London unites thousands of lives through literature, placing one book at the heart of the capital. Barnet libraries will be joining the rest of London by reading and discussing this year’s chosen book; ‘Ten Days’ by Gillian Slovo.   ‘Ten Days’ is a gripping novel inspired by the author’s research into the 2011 riots in London. The story is told through three perspectives: the police, politicians and residents, exploring what happens when these three worlds, together with the hard realities of living in the capital, collide.   

Barnet Council is leading the way and running a campaign across the borough to educate young people about the health implications of smoking shisha. The campaign, primarily aimed at young people aged 16 to 24, is raising awareness about the health impacts of smoking shisha, also known as hookah, narghile, waterpipe or hubble bubble smoking, at a time when residents are making their New Year resolutions to be healthier.

Mr Dismore held the constituency that he won at the GLA elections in May 2012. The result was declared at Alexandra Palace on Friday 6 May at 17.30. 183,981 votes were cast by Barnet and Camden voters. The turn-out was 41 per cent. The full results are as follows:   Andrew Dismore, Labour Party – 81,482 votes Daniel Thomas, Conservative Party – 65,242 votes Stephen Taylor, Green Party – 16,996 votes Zack Polanski , London Liberal Democrats – 11,204 votes

The decision to keep all of the current 14 libraries open was agreed following a comprehensive review and extensive public consultation. In order to keep the libraries open, as well as retaining the home, mobile and digital library services and deliver necessary savings, a number of changes will be made from 1 April 2017. The aim of each session is to inform residents about key changes to their local libraries and the new library service offer.  

Barnet Council’s current plans include applying a 2 per cent social care precept to Council Tax bills next year which would generate an additional £3m to help ease the increasing pressures on adult social care budgets, including care for the elderly. 

The council and their leisure operator Better, together with Saracens Sports Foundation and East Finchley Altogether Better (EFAB), are offering four instructor-led health walks in the borough for those over 55. The walks, celebrating Silver Sunday annual celebrations and taking place on Monday 3 October starting at 9.30am, will either be free or need a small donation to cover the cost of the walk.

Barnet Council has launched a consultation on its 2019-2024 corporate plan, which will run until Sunday 23 September. The consultation is open to all Barnet residents, businesses, and community interest groups. Residents can take part in the Barnet 2024 consultation by completing an online questionnaire at Engage Barnet

In Barnet, the borough with the largest population in London, there are currently 326 children and young people in care. As there are only 104 foster carers within the Barnet network, there is a growing need for more foster carers, particularly those who can care for teenagers, sibling groups and children and young people with additional needs. Over 100 children came in to care between May and December 2017. Approximately 81 percent of these children are over the age of 12 and 54 percent are over the age of 16.

The museum’s First World War exhibition provided a poignant backdrop to the service of commemoration which took place at 11am on Sunday 6 November. A whistle blast marked the start of the service, symbolising the trench whistles used to coordinate an advance. During the ceremony, a rolling display highlighted the sacrifice made by so many, with the names of 419 local men who are known to have been killed in one of the bloodiest battles of the First World War.

To mark Cityread 2017, Barnet Libraries will be hosting events and activities over the coming weeks centred on this year’s chosen novel - S. J. Parris’ ‘Prophecy’. Prophecy is the second instalment of S. J. Parris’ historical fiction series featuring the fugitive Neopolitan monk and philosopher Giordano Bruno. Set in London in 1583, Prophecy is a gripping Elizabethan spy thriller. Each year, in April, Cityread London encourages Londoners to come together to read the same book and take part in exciting literary events across the capital.