Library users across Blaenau Gwent are being encouraged to check out some sunshine from their local libraries with the arrival of kits designed to tackle the effects of seasonal affective disorder.
With days rapidly getting shorter after the end of British Summer Time on Sunday, 25th October, local library-goers can borrow Wintering Well Boxes now available for loan from British public library services after two years of successful trials in Scotland.
In Wales, 11 regional libraries are working in partnership to offer boxes to users in Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham, Neath-Port Talbot, Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil, Powys, Conwy, Newport, Vale of Glamorgan and Caerphilly. The Wintering Well guidebook Light is a Right: A Guide to Wintering Well will be available to anyone in Wales via BorrowBox, the digital library platform.
The boxes were developed with ESRC funding by researchers from the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh in consultation with people who experience symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) during the shorter days of winter.
They include a therapeutic light lamp which can help replace the beneficial effects of outdoor sunlight during shorter winter days, and a guidebook with tips on simple indoor and outdoor activities that can help support a healthy new winter routine. The boxes also offer access to a free online course helping users tackle the effects of SAD.
The boxes aim to help alleviate the mental and physical problems caused by SAD. More than a million people in the UK are estimated to live with SAD during the winter months as a result of reduced access to natural light, according to figures from the Royal College of Psychiatry.
Mrs Claire Charlwood (76), from Glasgow, was one of the first people in the UK to check out a Wintering Well Box from her local library when they became available in 2024.
She said: "Clocks are going to winter time soon, and although this is not something I welcome, I feel much more able to cope with it now. Two years ago, I borrowed the Wintering Well box from the library, unsure what it really could achieve for my SAD, but prepared to give it a go. I was in for a pleasant surprise! The lamp is great, small enough to put next to my computer, ready to use every sunless morning. The booklet is full of good advice, and it’s comforting to know that I am not on my own dreading dark winter days.
"Last winter proved to be not so uphill. Partly because using the lamp and going out for a walk every day in natural light (grey as it might be!) helped me to compensate for the long dark nights and dreary days but also because, instead of being crushed by winter, I felt I could be in control. Looking through the ’sky frame’ included in the kit, which encourages people to pick a spot above and watch the light and the clouds change like it was a moving picture, helped me feel like I owned that bit of sky and feel more connected to the world around me. This year, I am ready to keep my head high and not let winter squash me.”
A total of 16 public library services across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland will share 600 of the boxes this year. This expansion comes after the first loan scheme was introduced in public libraries in East Dunbartonshire in 2024.
Since then, local people have checked out the Wintering Well Boxes more than 1000 times, and more boxes have also been made available to library services in Glasgow and the Orkney Islands.
Tracy Jones, Head of Libraries for Blaenau Gwent said: “We’re delighted to be participating in the Wintering Well Box loan scheme. We know that SAD is a very real issue for a number of our library users and will affect many more people across the borough. We anticipate this being a very popular initiative to add to the other support we provide during the challenging winter period at our libraries across Blaenau Gwent.”
Professor Hester Parr of the University of Glasgow’s School of Geographical & Earth Sciences, has led the Wintering Well project since its inception. She said: “Seasonal affective disorder can be debilitating for many people, who dread the annual effects of the shorter days and struggle to stay physically and mentally healthy through winter.
“When we began work on the Living with SAD research project which led to the development of the Wintering Well Box, we wanted to explore whether SAD was an annual inevitability or whether change was possible.
“With two years of real-world use and feedback from users now available, we can see that people can be helped to make changes that improve their winter wellbeing through the active, creative measures we’ve developed with input from people who live with SAD. Wintering Well Boxes have helped hundreds of people improve their mood, make healthy changes to their routines, and develop a brighter outlook on winter by adopting distinctive coping strategies. We’re excited to reach many more this time around.”
The project is co-led by the University of Edinburgh’s Professor Hayden Lorimer. He said: “We’re thrilled that library services in all four nations have given their support to the Wintering Well project, which is a direct result of the impact we’ve been able to make with the help of Scottish public libraries over the last couple of years.
“This winter may be more challenging for many as we face additional uncertainty about how the country will be affected by what is forecast to be the strongest El Niño for a thousand years. Our Wintering Well boxes aim to help people deal with those negative emotions through creative exercises, as well as offering free access to an online course to help them develop more healthy habits and improve their mental wellbeing.”
Nicola Pitman, Chair of the Society of Chief Librarians Cymru, said: “Public libraries are at the heart of communities across Wales, offering support, connection and trusted information when people need it most. The Wintering Well initiative is a wonderful example of how libraries can help people stay well and feel supported during the winter months.
“By providing practical resources, helpful information and welcoming spaces, we can make a real difference to people’s health and wellbeing. We’re delighted to be working together with partners across Wales to make these boxes available, helping more people access support close to home. This partnership reflects the strength of our library network and our shared commitment to reducing isolation, improving wellbeing and helping communities thrive throughout the winter.”
Isobel Hunter MBE, Chief Executive of Libraries Connected, said: “Public libraries support wellbeing in countless ways, and the Wintering Well Box loan scheme is a brilliant example of how they help people take positive steps for their mental and physical health. For many people, the shorter days and darker months of winter can have a real impact on wellbeing. As trusted, welcoming spaces at the heart of communities, libraries are uniquely placed to help. We're proud to see this innovative project expanding across the UK and supporting more people to develop healthy winter routines.”
Blaenau Gwent libraries are a source of support for the whole community and provide a warm, welcoming and inclusive environment all year round but particularly during the hard winter months.
In addition to the Wintering Well Box loan scheme, the libraries across Blaenau Gwent offer a warm space and even warmer welcome for people to relax, read or use the computers for free, including free WiFi. They host many groups and clubs for the community to participate in, providing much needed social interaction for those who live on their own. There are children’s activities and each library, working with the Community Hubs, provides a source of valuable information about local services and groups.
For more information about the resources on offer at your local library, go to blaenaugwentlibraries.co.uk
