We use cookies to collect information about how you use wiltshire.gov.uk. We use this information to make the website work as well as possible and improve our services.
With the government recently announcing lockdown from January, we've revisited this resource page and freshened it up. There are now a range of resources that you can engage with from the safety of your own home, delivered by a range of council services, as well as a number of resources, activities and ideas to support mental health, promote physical activity and offer you ideas to do something new or different.
Online delivery
There are a wide variety of opportunities to engage with live, and pre-recorded, activities to stay active, learn, engage with others, have fun and keep children occupied. Why not try something new today.
Leisure services
Get active, stay active, move more - with 20 plus weekly exercise classes to try, ranging from yoga and pilates to high intensity, high energy interval training there is something for everyone in our online exercise class programme. Find out what's available and how to access here.
The sports development team provide a range of sporting opportunities which are not able to be delivered at this time. However, you can still get involved with their online sessions in walking netball, walking football and This Girl Can themed sessions.
Running - the virtual running programme will continue - couch to 5Km and top tips advice on running and progressing running. Follow Active Wiltshire on Facebook for information and regular video updates.
Library services
Wiltshire libraries are providing Facebook Live Rhyme Times at 11am each week day. To find out more, visit the library Facebook pages.
Keep your little grey cells active by visiting the Wiltshire library Facebook pages every Thursday at 7pm for a themed quiz. Answers are posted at 7pm on Friday.
Fortnightly on Tuesdays at 3pm, Wiltshire libraries hold live poetry, tea and chat sessions. Join Philip on 12 January on the Salisbury Library Facebook page, Steph on 26 January on the Melksham Library Facebook page and Basil on 9 February on the Trowbridge Library Facebook page.
Heritage services
These weblinks provide a gateway to a host of information, services and activities that you can enjoy from your own home:
Discover a world of heritage on the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre website including Archives & Local Studies, Archaeology and the Conservation & Museums Service (CMAS), which are all still providing services and can be contacted via the website.
For family history research you can register for free home access to explore Wiltshire's parish registers, wills and probate on Ancestry. Go to the archives page of the WSHC website for details on how to register. You will also find "how to" guides to help you with your historical research.
Listen to the online Memory Box Reading Group and check out History Centre blog for all things heritage, arts and culture in Wiltshire. Visit the Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre YouTube channel for films on art, history, and even Pele's football boots worked on by conservators at the History Centre.
For local history take advantage of the Order and Collect service from Wiltshire Libraries which includes loan copies of books from the Local Studies collections.
Additional resources and activities available through Wiltshire Council
A wide variety of activity packs featuring games, challenges, quizzes and physical activities to have a go at across a range of different activities - see the Activity Pack section at the bottom of the page.
Active Health - there will be a virtual 1-2-1 exercise session for customers to motivate them through the restrictions, virtual classes for specialist classes and circuits. Customers will be kept in touch via email and phone. Find out more about Active Health here.
Get Wiltshire Walking - Get Wiltshire Walking will be staying connected via their weekly newsletter and vulnerable walkers and walk leaders will be phone
Healthy Us is a free 12-week group weight management course open to anyone living in Wiltshire, aged 18 or over, with a BMI of 28 or above.
You can use your library card to borrow eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines and access online resources, including Naxos Spoken Word Library, for free. To find out more, visit the library online resources page.
Discover rhyme times, guides for using online resources, bedtime stories, author talks and craft activities on the Wiltshire Libraries YouTube channel
If you enjoy chatting about books, join one of the relaxed and friendly library book chat groups. Simply search Facebook Groups for: Calne Library Bookchat, Chippenham Library Bookchat, Melksham Library Bookchat, Salisbury & Wilton Library Bookchat, Warminster & Mere Library Bookchat or Westbury Library Book Chat.
If you're a member of a reading group, there's a collection of library eBooks that can be read by multiple people at once that are ideal for reading groups. The list of Reading Group Suggestions can be found on the Wiltshire RBdigital home page. Online library reading groups are also being hosted by Calne, Chippenham, Salisbury and Trowbridge libraries. Email libraryenquiries@wiltshire.gov.uk for more information.
Reading Well promotes the benefits of reading for health and wellbeing, covering long term health conditions, mental health, dementia and books for young people and children. You can borrow many titles from the expert endorsed Reading Well collections from the Wiltshire library eBook website and app. These titles have been recommended by health professionals.
Visit the Arts in Wiltshireblog for a wide array of ideas and resources to draw, write, sing, music, watch theatre, shows, films, documentaries as well as ideas to get involved in dance, photography, crafts and much, much more. This blog has a large number of links to other resources for you to try.
Wellbeing hub
The Wiltshire Wellbeing Hub is back open again and available to support local people with deliveries of food and other essentials, issues around loneliness and isolation and support if you're self-isolating from COVID-19.
Other links, resources and activities from regional and national partners
There is a huge amount of information and resources available to help you stay active at home.
For children
Sustrans has created four weeks of fun and educational resources and activity ideas for families. Get weekly inspiration and resources for kids' activities, games and challenges . Sustrans Outside In activities include videos, games, weekly challenges, themed activities and more. The four-week activity pack is full of cycling, walking and scooting themed fun.
The Youth Sport Trust has a number of free resources to help parents and children have fun and stay active at home. They have teamed up with DC and have some fantastic free to access resources inspired by Wonder Woman and her eight characteristics, which include strength, optimism and courage. Designed to be inclusive, the resources take the form of activities and quests at different difficulty levels for individuals or groups, ensuring that all your young people can join in and have fun.
The FA's free Superkicks App is available with hundreds of challenges with various levels built in for young people to try
Gymnastics HQ have developed a series of activity plans to keep active and practicing your gymnastics
Early Movers has practical ideas to help with babies and young children's physical development.
support for parents helping children get more active from UK Coaching
UK Active Kids have released #NikeMoveCrew which sets weekly and daily missions for children to take part in that helps towards their 60 minutes of daily recommended activity
For adults
Sport England's #StayInWorkOut campaign has a dedicated page with a variety of activities to follow for all ages. This includes home workouts, activities to do with your children, accessible activities and mindfulness programmes
There are free workouts available at the Fitness Blender website that also provides healthy recipe ideas and healthy living guidance
The NHS also have a variety of beginner and intermediate workouts available on their website all of which are easy to follow
For women and girls
MoJoManuals are an inspiring, educational resource that have been voluntarily written by top sport scientists, leading coaches and educational tutors. MoJoManuals empower girls and women with information on how to be the best athlete/player they can be whilst gently building confidence to tackle specific challenges that girls often face in sport and life. The workbook format has embedded video links which add info or demonstrate routines/exercises and can be downloaded to your PC or smart device. Free download of these manuals available until end of May 2020. Follow WSNet on Twitterto get access
For older people
The NHS have a range of tips, advice and guidance on staying active in your later years including specific workouts for strength, flexibility and easy 10 minute whole body workouts
The '10 Today' audio exercise routines have been designed to help older people stay active at home are available on demand from BBC Sounds and broadcast live on BB Radio 5 Live Sports Extra
People with long term health conditions are even more impacted by Covid-19. #WeAreUndefeatable has lots of information to people keep active safely during this time.
Disabled persons activity
Activity Alliance have a range of inclusive activities to keep individuals with a disability or long term health condition, active whilst at home.
Active Health
Active Health is the council's physical activity referral scheme that enables people to be referred by their GP to support their activity needs.
There's now two 20 minute Active Health videos available here, led by Rich, one of our instructors
There is a growing video library of activities suitable for older, and less physically stable, people provided by Later Life Training for falls clients. You can access all the videos on their YouTube channel also.
British Heart Foundation video providing activities for cardiac clients.
Living Life provide free resources including audiobooks and worksheets to help manage mental health problems
Turn2me is an online resource providing information, support and guidance to promote positive mental health
Action for Happiness have a variety of resources available including a coping calendar, 10 keys to happier living as well as a number of things you can practically do to help with positive mental health in their 'actions' section
The NHS provides sources of information for those living with a variety of mental health problems. If you already have a mental health problem, you can also access comprehensive guidance provided by Mind.
Book Trust have lots of interactive books to read online or watch with signing, plus other fun resources to keep children enjoying books, reading and learning.
The National Literacy Trust's 'Words for Life' offers a range of resources for parents of 0-12 years old supporting learning and play. Fun activities involving themed books, reading and crafts plus support for parents.
A number of children's author and illustrators do story reading or drawing sessions. These include:
Many children's publisher's offer fun activities on their websites linked to popular book characters or series (some offer teacher's resources too), including:
From 1 December 2020 to 19 February 2021, The Reading Agency will be challenging children to take part in the Winter Mini Challenge and set themselves a reading goal. If they review the books online, they'll unlock limited edition virtual badges and a special certificate.
While museums are closed you can still support them by visiting their websites.
Go to the Wessex Museums website for online exhibitions and spotlights on collections from The Salisbury Museum, Wiltshire Museum, Poole Museum and Dorset Museum.
For music and poetry check out the wonderful Celebrating Age Wiltshire project including its series of monthly recorded concerts available on YouTube. For more online performances and events visit Pound Arts Centre.
Family history research includes having conversations with family members about their lives and times. Take the Conversation Challenge with History Begins at Home and download the themed question sheets to get you started.
For your online fix of art and artists in the Wiltshire landscape go to the Roche Court, New Art Centre website where you can discover more about the artists featured, their work and a "Work of the Week".
Take a virtual tour around Salisbury Cathedral interactive art tour, Spirit and Endeavour which celebrates the cathedral's 800 year history.
Digital Unite have brought together some of their most relevant digital guides to help staff and customers during these challenging times - e.g. Finding reliable COVID-19 news & information, social media, online shopping
Learn My Way from the Good Things Foundation have easy to follow courses covering many areas including the basics of using a mouse and keyboard, staying safe online, using office programs, managing money, health appts online, shopping etc.
Future Learn - free membership with a lot of different online courses on a wide range of topics, including CPD courses like how to teach online.
Find out about local fire service provision with a range of educational and fun activities on their webpage.
Microsoft Digital Literacy course - this free course is available for anyone with basic reading skills who wants to learn the fundamentals of using digital technologies. The course is available in multiple languages. Learners who complete the course will understand basic computing concepts and skills.
Microsoft Learn provides interactive, hands-on, browser-based, free training for everyone from students, to Business Leaders, IT Professionals and Developers. It allows participants to explore a topic in-depth through guided paths or learn how to accomplish a specific task through individual modules. Some pathways provide the potential to become Microsoft certified.
Linkedin's community and resources aim to help you discover new career paths, learn skills and find jobs, including free courses to help you prepare for online interviews.
Downloadable activity packs
We will be creating a range of activity packs so why not download one or all of them and give them a try:
Before you start any physical activities that you may find above, please make sure that it is safe for you to exercise based on any current health or medical conditions you may have. Please make sure you have plenty of space around you in order to perform any exercises that you take part in, and that you're wearing the appropriate attire, including footwear, to do the activity that you're participating in.
Wiltshire Council
Ability Sports Activity Pack Week 1 [3.36MB]