Good web guide
The good web guide is available in your library or from home. It is a quick and easy portal to the best information resources on the web. Hundreds of useful websites have been selected by our information professionals to help you find what you need.
Benefits, money advice and consumers
Benefits
Government information on the total amount of benefit available to people aged 16 to 64.
Government information on the new single payment for people who are looking for work or on a low income.
Information from the Government on help for parents with childcare costs.
Foodbanks energy furniture and other assistance
Information about services that are available when you have problems or circumstances that you need help with.
National Citizens Advice Bureau: benefits
Information on benefits and tax credits if you are working or unemployed, sick or disabled, a parent, a young person, an older person or a veteran. There is also information about council tax and housing costs, national insurance, payment of benefits and problems with benefits.
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
Government Information on the benefit for people aged 16 to 64 with a health condition or disability, which replaces the Disability Living Allowance.
Information from Shelter on the welfare reform that reduces the amount of benefit people are entitled to if they have a spare room.
Helps people in financial need gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help.
Information and advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau Service in Northamptonshire about Welfare Reform, the name given to all the changes being made by the government to the system of Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits.
Debt advice
Central and East Northamptonshire Citizens Advice Bureau
Free guide and resource on managing debt and financial problems.
Charity Link works to help people facing financial hardship, illness, disability or other difficulties to get the items they need for their home.
Community Law Service (Northampton and County): debt advice service
Specialist caseworkers, who advise on a wide range of solutions to dealing with debts.
A registered national debt advice and education charity offering free, confidential support and advice to anyone worried about loans, credit and debt.
Government information on options for paying off debt.
National Citizens Advice Bureau: debt and money
Debt and money advice.
Free, confidential, debt advice service run by the Money Advice Trust. Includes personal budget calculator.
Charity providing free, confidential advice to people with housing problems.
Charity providing free debt information and advice.
Money advice
Money in the news and money guides.
Guide to personal finance from Choose.
Commsave provides a range of affordable financial services, including instant access savings and low cost loans and banking facilities.
Aims to empower consumers through education in the areas of credit, loans, insurance, debt and personal finance.
Personal finance sections.
Financial Conduct Authority: consumer information
Aims to help consumers to use financial services with confidence and have products that meet their needs, from firms and individuals they can trust.
Personal finance sections.
Personal finance sections.
Provides comprehensive and independent coverage of the UK stock market.
Full registered access to the website is available in the library only. Please ask a member of staff to log you in.
Independent service set up by the Government to help people make the most of their money.
Aims to help people to reduce their cost of living.
Advice from Citizen's advice on protecting yourself from predatory lending practices.
A free and impartial government service about your defined contribution pension options.
Which magazine's guide to money and personal finance.
Consumers
Online directory of residential and business numbers.
The Buy with confidence scheme brings together a list of gardeners, plumbers, builders, electricians and many other types of businesses.
Traders are only accepted onto the national scheme if they pass stringent checks carried out by Trading Standards.
Choose: phone, tv and broadband
Guide to choosing phone, tv and broadband from Choose.
The official list of gas engineers who are registered to work safely and legally on boilers, cookers, fires and all other gas appliances.
National Citizens Advice Bureau -consumer advice
Information on what your rights are and how to take action when buying goods and services.
Lists alternative geographic numbers instead of 0870 numbers for well known companies.
Shopping directory listing thousands of secure UK online shopping sites.
Creating an energy saving home
Advice on how you can save money on household running costs through greater energy efficiency in the home.
Independent expert advice on household products together with information on Which? publications, campaigns and services.
Business and enterprise
Intellectual Property
Intellectual Property or IP can help you protect your business ideas to prevent others from using them without your permission.
Bookable sessions for one to one Intellectual Property advice are available. For further details see our Business & IP Centre Northamptonshire page.
Registering your business
Information on registering your business as a limited company. Free company name search provided.
Information on starting up and running a business in the UK, including help if you are self employed or a sole trader.
HM Revenue and Customs: self employed
HMRC's section for people who are self employed or are considering becoming self employed.
Tax national insurance and VAT
HM Revenue and Customs: Leaflets, factsheets and booklets
Collection bringing together leaflets, factsheets and booklets issued by HM Revenue and Customs.
HM Revenue and Customs: Live webinars
Live webinars are available on set dates and times. They usually last an hour and there is time to ask the presenter questions at the end. Customers will need to complete a simple registration in advance giving their name and email address.
HM Revenue and Customs: Online Learning
Online learning is an e-course covering tax, National Insurance, business records and expenses.
HM Revenue and Customs: recorded webinars
Recorded webinars are available at any time and can be viewed at your own pace. However, unlike live webinars they are not hosted so there is no opportunity to ask questions.
HM Revenue and Customs: YouTube channel
Short information videos located on HMRC YouTube channel. They aim to provide reassurance and offer quick help.
Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAEW): business advice service
Includes information on how business start-ups can book a free appointment with a chartered accountant.
Open Learn: introduction to bookkeeping and accounting
Learn the essential numerical skills required for accounting and bookkeeping. This free course explains the fundamental rules of double-entry bookkeeping and how they are used to produce the balance sheet and the profit and loss account.
Turn2us:self employment benefits
Information on benefits you may be entitled to if you are self employed.
Writing a business plan
Information about business plan content, including templates and online tools (Registration may be required).
Help page on writing your business plan. Includes a link to the Prince's Trust business plan template; and also free sample templates available through Bplans.co.uk.
Raising finance for your business
The UK's first 'social merchant bank,' by social entrepreneurs, for social entrepreneurs.
The UK national trade association representing private investors or a group of investors looking for opportunities to invest money in enterprises.
Provides advice and business loans to pre-start and existing business owners throughout the East Midlands.
Provides loans to new and existing businesses that have been refused finance by mainstream lenders.
Grantfinder enables you to identify, apply for and manage funding. Featuring over 8,000 continuously updated funding opportunities. Grantfinder can only be accessed at Northampton Library, Wellingborough Library, Kettering Library, Towcester library and Brixworth libraries.
We link new ideas and opportunities with expertise, markets and finance through our network of businesses, universities, funders and investors.
Grants for small and medium-sized rural businesses: farmers wishing to diversify; tourism projects; community groups; foresters and other rural enterprises.
Prince's Trust: business funding
Where to find the money for your own business start-up, and which option is the best for you.
Responsible Finance providers offer simple, affordable loans when the bank can't help.
A Government initiative providing funding, mentoring and support to those looking to start or grow a business. Start-up Loans works with Enterprise Loans East Midlands and CWRT to support Start Up Loans applicants in the East Midlands.
Small business advice, business ideas and information on starting a business.
Building your online skills and digital strategy
e-business online course.
Eight free digital online courses.
Get the digital skills you need to grow your business.
Six free courses on the fundamentals of social marketing.
Lloyds Bank: online skills for small businesses and medium sized enterprises
Guide to basic online skills and using online services to help with your business.
Business start-up resources Northamptonshire
Buy With Confidence: Northamptonshire County Council's approved trader scheme
Information on applying to become an approved trader to show customers that you are Trading Standards approved.
Enterprise Club: University of Northampton
Offers advice, mentoring, training and networking to university staff and students; and also local entrepreneurs.
Start up and business support service for Kettering.
Federation of small businesses: Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Rutland
UK's largest campaigning pressure group promoting and protecting the interests of the self employed and owners of small firms.
Northampton University Business Support Team
Support for anyone looking to start a new business.
Represents around 1,000 Northamptonshire businesses, who employ over 1/3 of the county's workforce.
Northamptonshire community housing network: self employment training
Support for disabled people considering self employment.
Working in collaboration with local authority and private sector partners, SEMLEP aims to deliver the strategic infrastructure and skills projects that are essential for economic growth – new jobs and new homes – in this area.
SEMLEP's Growth Hub offers business support to growing businesses.
General business start-up resources national
Approved Franchise Association
The Approved Franchise Association (AFA) was set up in 2012 to support the rapidly growing UK Franchise Industry. Set up as a self-regulatory, voluntary body, the AFA exist to serve members, future franchisees and the franchise industry in general.
An energy comparison service to help you find the cheapest utility prices in the energy market.
Information for businesses and individuals that need to know about trading standards legislation.
The CITB supports the skills needs of the British construction sector.
Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust (CWRT) is a not-for-profit organisation committed to supporting individuals, start ups and businesses.
Series of videos helping businesses understand IP and some of the areas around it.
Offer free, short courses to give you an insight into self-employment, help you launch your own business, and give you the help and support you need to grow your business.
Scheme run by the Law Society offering a free consultation on legal requirements relating to your business.
Community businesses trade primarily for the benefit of their community. The Plunkett Foundation provides support and resources for community businesses.
Press Gazette: company profiles
Searchable database listing over 5 million UK limited companies.
Supporting business creation by 18 to 30 year olds.
National campaign by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, harnessing the expertise and passion of Britain's leading business people; aims to celebrate, inspire and accelerate enterprise in the UK.
The Small Business Toolkit by The Business Community is a published book that you can access for free and read online or download as a PDF. It is a collection of articles to help improve and enhance the success of any small business looking to grow.
Social enterprise resources
Basic information on establishing co-operatives.
Grant funding, loans and contract search website.
A partnership between the University of Northampton and Exemplas: a support service for the social enterprise sector providing information, specialist advice, training, consulting, coaching and mentoring to new and existing social enterprises and social entrepreneurs.
Social enterprise East Midlands
A partnership of organisations from the community, voluntary, enterprise, government and regional development sectors of the East Midlands.
Business office space
Details of thousands of serviced offices in the United Kingdom.
A commercial property brokerage company offering all kinds of office space, these include flexible, serviced or conventional spaces across Northamptonshire. A completely free service to help you find the office space suited to you.
Designed specifically for small businesses, startups and freelancers; search all the main types of office space for rent and then compare available space on a like-for-like desk cost basis.
Offices.org.uk - Northamptonshire
Directory of serviced office space in Northamptonshire.
Prime Office Space: Northampton
The Prime Office Space search facility allows you to search for serviced, managed, temporary, flexible and traditional office space to let.
Search all types of office space nationally, whatever the size of your business; whether you need a single desk, or space for 100 desks.
Business networking organisations
Private membership organisation running business clubs and networking.
Open to businesses in the Corby District and surrounding villages including Weldon, Rockingham, Gretton, Cottingham, Middleton, East Carlton, Stanion, and Little Stanion.
Digital Northampton is a collaboration between local digital businesses, the University of Northampton, and Northamptonshire County Council designed to support digital innovation in and around Northampton.
Business community for businesses based in Kettering, Desborough, Rothwell, Burton Latimer and surrounding villages.
Love Corby offers business networking and information about Corby and the surrounding area.
Events delivered all over the country, where women can meet established local female entrepreneurs, learn from their experiences and network with other local aspiring female entrepreneurs.
Support network for all pre-start, new and established businesses.
North Northants Business Network
The North Northants Business Network acts as an interface between the business community in Kettering, Corby, East Northants and Wellingborough, North Northamptonshire Council and both the education and charity sectors.
Represents around 1,000 Northamptonshire businesses, who employ over 1/3 of the county's workforce.
Monthly social networking evenings discussing business matters and local issues.
A supportive community of around 150 small business owners with regular networking groups in Northants and the surrounding counties.
Wellingborough Business Network
Connecting businesses in Wellingborough and villages in the surrounding area.
Community, government and statistics
Community resources Northamptonshire
Age UK Northamptonshire has a wide range of services which are available to older people or their carers throughout the county.
Charity Link works in partnership with Northamptonshire County Council to help people facing financial hardship, illness, disability or other difficulties to get the items they need for their home. You can apply to Charity Link at Corby Library, Kettering Library, Northampton Central Library, Rushden Library and Wellingborough Library.
Citizens Advice - Northamptonshire.
Community Law Service (Northampton and County)
Registered charity providing independent and confidential specialist legal advice, representation, training and consultancy services.
Northamptonshire County Council's directory of registered childcare providers, children's centres and day nurseries, and also family activities and organisations.
Keyways (Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough)
Spire Homes (East Northamptonshire)
Find social housing properties in Corby, Daventry, East Northamptonshire, Kettering, Northampton and Wellingborough.
Northamptonshire Association For The Blind
Supporting people with sight loss.
Northamptonshire care and repair
Provides a range of practical services designed to support older, disabled and vulnerable people and enable them to continue to live safely and stay warm and secure within their own homes.
Northamptonshire community foundation
An independent grant-making charity which provides funding for the voluntary and community sectors in Northamptonshire.
Northamptonshire community housing network facebook
Working with people with disabilities to find a home.
Northamptonshire's local offer
Services for children and young people (aged 0 to 25) with special educational needs and disabilities.
Helping the older generation share their thoughts, experiences and skills.
Waste and Recycling Northamptonshire County Council
Information to help you recycle all that you can and where to recycle it.
Community resources national
The leading UK care and research charity for people with this disease and other dementias, their families and carers.
UK charity directory database.
Charity commission for England and Wales
Registers and regulates charities in England and Wales.
A community recycling website that allows you to choose local groups.
Provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. Mind also campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.
National charity for finding missing people.
National Citizens Advice Bureau - self-help guide
Practical, reliable information to help you solve your problems.
Set up a free webpage for your community group.
Government resources national
The place to find government services and information.
If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, you and your family can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 30 June 2021. If your application is successful, you’ll get either settled or pre-settled status.
Online service for reporting a bereavement.
Hansard is a word by word report, recording Members' words in Parliament.
The official website for UK legislation from 1267 to the present day.
Information on crime and local policing in your area.
Use this service to register your vote or update your details.
The latest information on what's going on in parliament.
Government resources Northamptonshire
North Northamptonshire Consultation Hub
West Northamptonshire Consultation Hub
Find consultations that interest you and take part in them.
Northamptonshire county association of local councils
A local council is a universal term for community, neighbourhood, parish and town councils. They work towards improving community well-being and providing better services. Their activities fall into 3 main categories: representing the local community; delivering services to meet local needs; striving to improve quality of life and community well-being.
Information on crime and local policing.
Office of the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioners are publicly-elected officials who are responsible for the totality of policing, aiming to cut crime and deliver an effective and efficient police service in their area, ensuring that the police are answerable to the communities they serve.
North Northamptonshire Council
The majority of local government services in Northamptonshire are provided by 2 unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire.
Statistics
Census statistics help paint a picture of the nation and how we live. They provide a detailed snapshot of the population and its characteristics.
Nomis has a range of datasets covering aspects of the labour market, life events and other topics from the Office for National Statistics.
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the UK's largest independent producer of national statistics.
Encyclopaedias and dictionaries
Encyclopaedia and dictionary resources
Contains more than 1,000,000 human-edited definitions. Combined with the Acronym Attic, Acronym Finder contains more than 5 million acronyms and abbreviations.
Dictionary.com is a destination for learning and word discovery. It provides resources for schoolwork and careers.
Provides reference entries from credible, published sources like Oxford University Press and Columbia Encyclopedia, you get free access to nearly 200,000 reference entries.
19,500,236 words in 1062 dictionaries indexed.
Free online dictionary published by Oxford University Press. Includes a thesaurus and grammar advice.
Containing 260,000 entries and comprehensive thesaurus.
Wikipedia is a web-based, free encyclopaedia.
A collection of free on-line translation dictionaries.
Provides simple, straight forward definitions that make sense along with example use cases for the most popular words.
Family history and heritage
Family history resources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Memorial website to 1.7 million members of the armed forces, who were killed during both world wars.
Central database for UK burials and cremations with free search facility.
Northamptonshire Libraries does not subscribe to subscription resources on this website.
Search and explore historical record collections and more in United Kingdom and Ireland, England.
Free access to birth, marriage and death records from 1837 onwards.
Volunteer project which aims to provide free internet searches of baptism, marriage, and burial records, which have been extracted from parish registers, non-conformist records and other relevant sources in the UK. Currently contains over 37 million records.
Link to order birth, death or marriage certificates online.
Gateway to UK genealogy websites in the UK and Ireland.
Contains digitised copies of civil records (births, marriages and deaths) held by the Republic of Ireland's General Register Office, and a limited number of church records.
Northamptonshire Family History Society
Aims to advance the study of genealogy and family history with special emphasis on Northamptonshire.
The official website for Scottish genealogy resources.
Northamptonshire Libraries does not subscribe to subscription resources on this website.
Free collaborative website with the mission of creating a worldwide family tree.
Northamptonshire heritage resources - towns and villages
History of Great Addington and the people that shaped it through the landscape and history of England.
Brixworth (Brixworth History Society)
The society's website contains online resources and information on their archives relating to the history of the village.
Burton Latimer - a sense of place
Online archives compiled by Burton Latimer Heritage Society relating to the history of the town, its people and their stories.
The site of a Roman walled town, Chester Farm Heritage Park is a £12.7m project funded by Heritage Lottery Fund and Northamptonshire County Council.
History of the village of Cottingham.
Collection of online archives compiled by the Rushden Research Group relating to the history of the town. Also includes Higham Ferrers and surrounding villages.
Irthlingborough (Irthlingborough Historical Society)
Online resources and information about publications produced by the society relating to the history of the town.
History, memories, photographs and comments about Corby.
Towcester (Towcester and District Local History Society)
Online resources relating to the history of the town.
Includes information on the Wellingborough Heritage Trail Improvement Scheme and also a downloadable trail pack.
Northamptonshire heritage resources - countywide
East Midlands history and heritage
Information about the East Midlands, for local history societies, schools and colleges, heritage practitioners and history professionals.
Northamptonshire boot and shoe
History of and information about Northamptonshire's boot and shoe industry.
Northamptonshire Central Library: local and family history resources
Information about Northamptonshire Central Library's extensive collection of materials on the county's history housed in the library's Discover Centre.
Northamptonshire record office
Over 800 years of Northamptonshire's archival heritage reflecting all aspects of the county's rich history.
Northamptonshire's local history societies
Contact details and links to family history societies in the county.
National heritage resources
American air museum in Britain
Records the stories of men and women of the US Army Air Force who served their country from the United Kingdom during World War II. Also records the memories of British people who befriended them.
An online resource for every public art collection in the United Kingdom featuring over 200,000 oil paintings.
Digital library of some of the core primary and secondary sources for the medieval and modern history of the British Isles.
The website contains free and subscription sources - Northamptonshire Libraries does not subscribe to the subscription resources.
British Library: online gallery
Discover the riches of the British Library: locate thousands of old maps; view virtual books; enjoy online exhibitions.
Building and enriching shared heritages project
Project by the School of History at Leicester University, which aims to empower local community groups through enhancing their research skills and to develop networks between and amongst local history and community heritage groups and university researchers.
Cambridge University digital library
Project to make available online the University's collections relating to faith and science.
Discovery (formerly access to archives)
Find records from the National Archives and over 2,500 archives across the United Kingdom.
Discover old photographs of locations throughout the United Kingdom.
Hansard: historic archive 1803 to 2005
An archive recording Parliamentary debates in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
Digital library of local and trade directories for England and Wales, from 1750 to 1919. Part of Leicester University's Special Collections Online.
Historypin is a way for millions of people to come together to share glimpses of the past and build up the story of human history.
The official archive and publisher for the UK Government, England and Wales. The collection contains over 11 million historical government and public records.
National Heritage List For England
The only official, up to date, register of all nationally protected historic buildings and sites in England - listed buildings, scheduled monuments, protected wrecks, registered parks and gardens, and battlefields.
Oxford University: Digital. Bodleian
Selection of collections available online through the Bodleian Library.
Proceedings of the Old Bailey 1674 - 1913
A searchable database of 197,745 criminal trials.
Royal Mail: letters of our lives
Campaign to encourage people to hunt out the forgotten letters that unveil social and political history.
The Gazette: official public record
First published in 1665, The Gazette publishes state notices and notices that are considered to be in the public interest including: state notices, public notices, insolvency notices, personal legal, company notices and profiles.
The UK Web Archive started in 2004 and contains thousands of websites that publish research, that reflect the diversity of lives, interests and activities throughout the UK.
VADS the online resource for visual arts
VADS (the Visual Arts Data Service) has a portfolio of visual art collections comprising over 140,000 images that are freely available and copyright cleared. VADS contains a selection of digitised images from the The Sir Henry Dryden collection which is located in Northamptonshire Central Library. The physical collection includes Dryden's drawings, plans, and notes.
The Victoria County History was started in 1899 and is an encyclopaedic record of England's counties. A number of volumes can be read online for free.
National Museums and Art Galleries - digital collections
Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery
Science Museum Group (Science, Science Media, Science & Industry, Railway, Locomotion)
Explore the online collections of a selection of museums and galleries that are members of the National Museums Directors' Council.
World War I centenary resources
Project led by the Imperial War Museum to highlight global centenary events and resources.
A project to commemorate, by street address, the deaths of men and women who died while serving in World War 1.
Discover the history of the First World War and updates from the BBC on the World War 1 Centenary season.
British Library: World War One
Supported by over 500 historical sources from across Europe, this resource examines key themes in the history of World War One.
First World War poetry digital archive
University of Oxford's online repository of over 7000 items of text, images, audio, and video for teaching, learning, and research.
University of Oxford's Great War Archive contains over 6,500 items contributed by the general public between March and June 2008. Every item originates from, or relates to, someone's experience of the First World War, either abroad or at home.
Project by the Imperial War Museum to build a permanent digital memorial to the lives of the First World War.
National archives: First World War
Explore collections held by National Archives.
Resource relating to navy history during World War I. Archived by British Library, US Library of Congress, Bavarian State Library.
Roll of Honour: Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire section of website dedicated to men and women killed fighting for their country.
This digitised collection from the Cambridge University Digital Library makes available online for the first time 23 of Sassoon's journals.
Aims to further interest in the Great War 1914 to 1918.
Health and wellbeing
Northamptonshire health services
NHS Northamptonshire Clinical Commissioning Group
Responsible for designing local health services by commissioning (or buying) health and care services for people living in Northamptonshire.
Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust provides general acute services for a population of 380,000 and hyper-acute stroke, vascular and renal services to people living throughout whole of Northamptonshire, a population of 692,000. The Trust is also an accredited cancer centre and provides cancer services to a wider population of 880,000 who live in Northamptonshire and parts of Buckinghamshire.
Northamptonshire Healthcare offers more than 100 services including mental health, community nursing, sexual health, physiotherapy and a range of others including specialty services. It also works in partnership across the county to deliver care together in an integrated way.
Public Health Northamptonshire
Provides services to support health and wellbeing including help to stop smoking, weight management, sexual health, eating well, and more.
National health and disability resources
Alcohol Concern was founded in 1984 as the national charity working to help reduce the problems that can be caused by alcohol. They do this by helping people with information, advice and support.
NHS website, which encourages people to eat well and move more to help them live longer.
Leads, shapes and funds health and care in England.
Information about drugs for young people, their friends and families.
Information on cancer and the support available to people with cancer and also their families.
Support and information for people living with and after cancer.
Support for people with learning disabilities and their families and carers.
Gateway to medical advice, healthy living and finding NHS services.
The main aim of NHS England is to improve the health outcomes for people in England.
Healthy tips and advice for pregnant women, new mums, dads-to-be, friends and family.
Provides tips, tools, support and encouragement every step of the way, to help improve your health right away, including a health quiz to see how you score.
Written by GPs, this site gives factsheets and patient experiences on a wide range of medical conditions.
Royal Society For Public Health
An independent health education charity with the vision that every community, workplace and individual should have the opportunity to optimise their own health and wellbeing.
talkhealth is a team of like-minded individuals, who are keen to provide the latest health information and support that is currently available, offering interactivity between health professionals, charities and fellow patients and their carers'.
Northamptonshire health and disability resources
Information, advice and support for enable older people.
Advice and information about care homes in your area.
Local organisation for deaf and hearing impaired people.
Works to help local people get the best out of their local health and social care services, whether it's improving them today or helping to shape them for tomorrow.
The Keep Safe Scheme is for anyone who has a disability, condition or illness and may need to access help or assistance when they are away from home.
Northamptonshire Association for the Blind
Local organisation for blind and partially sighted people.
Online referral form to give details of person in need of services and support.
Help and support for anyone providing unpaid care to a friend or family member.
Mental health and wellbeing resources
Alzheimer’s society: talking point
Alzheimer's Society's online community for anyone affected by dementia. Ask for advice, share information, join in discussions and feel supported.
CAMHS Live is an NHS service for children and young people enabling online conversation without judgement, to understand your worries, questions or issues. They can support you to find the right kind of help you need and help you access it in the best way for you.
Information and services to help people living in Northamptonshire to improve their mental wellbeing.
Find a professional counsellor or psychotherapist near you. Also information, articles, news and events.
Advice and practical tips to help you manage and maintain your mental health from how to deal with stress and anxiety, to boosting your mood or sleeping better.
Designed for anyone living or working in London. Help to tackle sleep, anxiety, stress and depression.
Provided by Northamptonshire County Council's Adult Learning Service, Learn2B courses are free of charge to anyone who is currently experiencing any form of mental health distress.
Advice and support for those experiencing loneliness.
An online course to help you regain control of your life.
Information and advice on getting help with a variety of mental health issues.
Information and advice on mental health issues.
Online course to help people with depression.
We deliver awareness and prevention training, provide confidential support and suicide intervention through HOPELineUK, campaign and influence national policy, and empower young people to lead suicide prevention activities in their own communities.
Website provided by the Northamptonshire Mental Health Stigma Programme to encourage awareness of the mental health needs of young people.
Free and confidential counselling, information and support services to 12 to 25 year olds.
Jobseeker support
Job clubs in libraries
Regular Job Clubs take place in several libraries across the county. Anyone is welcome to drop in or book an appointment to see a trained careers advisor. They can offer support with:
- CV writing
- online job applications
- covering letters
- job searching
- general advice
Jobseeker support across Northamptonshire
Jobseeker support and careers advice is available in other areas of the county in addition to the libraries listed above. Each area is covered by a different provider, listed below.
- Corby: Wise up for Work
- Kettering and East Northants: Evolve Your Future
- Northampton College’s Futures service providing Northamptonshire's National Careers Service
- Northamptonshire: Adult Learning Service
- Wellingborough: The Mallows Company
Semlep: jobseeker support
Semlep's (South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership) Growth Hub have collated a directory of local, regional and national employment support resources and also of training at work online courses.
Free E Fridays
On every Friday in every library, computers are free to use for all. Standard printing charges still apply.
In line with Government guidance, unless exempt, it is mandatory for customers to wear face coverings in public library buildings.
Please check library opening hours before visiting.
Leisure and entertainment
What's On
What's on: National
Museum and Gallery Event Listings
What's on: Northamptonshire
Netmumslocal: South Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Council: events calendar
Northamptonshire's cinemas and theatres
Cinemas
Theatres
Cripps Hall and Theatre Northampton
Royal and Derngate Northampton
Northamptonshire's country parks and countryside
Country parks
Countryside
National Gardens Scheme: Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire's museums and historic houses
Historic houses
Museums
Burton Latimer Heritage Museum
Carpetbagger Aviation Museum Harrington
Earls Barton Museum of Village Life
Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum
Kettering Museum and Art Gallery
Northampton Museum and Art Gallery
Northamptonshire Ironstone Railway Trust
Travel resources
Bus timetables: Northamptonshire
Bus timetables for Brackley, Corby, Daventry, Kettering, Northampton, Oundle, Thrapston, Towcester, Wellingborough and surrounding villages.
Plan and book your trip on the Eurostar.
Book tickets and get times for coach travel in UK and to Europe.
Get train times, book tickets and check that your train is running on time.
Get directions, traffic updates, as well as find and book accommodation online.
Airlines, airports and air information.
Tourism resources
Guide to nearly 10,000 campsites in Europe.
Foreign and Commonwealth office: travel advice
The Government's advice service for British citizens visiting countries abroad.
A listing of the main navigable waterways in Great Britain.
Online version of these popular travel guides.
Northamptonshire: Britain's best surprise
Guide to attractions in Northamptonshire.
Guide to the borough of Kettering.
Official tourist guide to Britain.
Official tourist guide to England.
Your guide to visiting, exploring and staying in Northamptonshire.
Daily forecast from Pitsford Hall Weather Station. The website also contains climatological records for Northamptonshire dating from 1998.
Northamptonshire's sport
Sport: Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire Sport: club directory
Northampton Town Football Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Literature, music and the arts
Reading guides
Bibliographies for over 40,000 authors and information on over 500,000 books.
National Literacy Trust: free resources for parents and families
Support your child's reading development from birth to age 11 with tips and free resources from the National Literacy Trust.
Reading guides and reviews for readers groups and readers.
Project Gutenberg provides free access to over 56,000 e-books, including classics whose copyright has expired.
Registered charity that aims to assist in education and recreation for blind and visually impaired people through the provision of books in accessible electronic formats.
Free learning platform app for Ukrainian students and teachers, with 3,000 e-book and e-audiobooks, including 1,700 Ukranian titles and 500 in English, for both adults and children.
Database of readers' favourite books to provide book recommendations and suggestions for what to read next.
Literary organisations
Bookshop.org is an online bookshop with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.
Reading and writing charity, which gives millions of books away to children and offers support to readers and writers.
Gives independent publishers the support they need to get the most out of publishing and keep their businesses growing.
National charity dedicated to raising literacy levels in the United Kingdom.
Aims to advance the study, use and enjoyment of poetry.
Trade organisation serving book, journal, audio and electronic publishers in the UK.
Charity organisation, which runs creative programmes to help people feel inspired and confident about reading.
Trade union representing writers in TV, radio, theatre, books, poetry, film, online and video games.
Supports, promotes and champions writing from the East Midlands.
Film, music and theatre resources
Classical music and opera
Film
Popular music
Theatre
Arts and performing arts organisations
National campaign to unlock the potential of everyone in the UK through creativity.
Champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people's lives.
Promotes greater understanding and appreciation of film and moving image culture in the United Kingdom.
Encouraging community development through active participation in the arts.
Department For Culture, Media and Sport: arts and culture
Working to support the arts community to give access to all, improve wellbeing in the UK and boost the UK’s economy.
Trade union for actors.
Consists of 9 of the UK’s leading art societies.
Organisation established by leading film education charities First Light and FILMCLUB to inspire young people aged 5 to 19 across the UK to learn through and about film.
Represents over 30,000 musicians working in all sectors of the music business.
National Operatic and Dramatic Association
Provide leadership and advice for amateur societies and individuals.
Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust (NMPAT)
Supports music education in Northamptonshire.
National voice for the dance profession.
Database of businesses involved with the performance industry from agents to set designers.
Media and information technology
Academic journals online (access to research project)
Access to Research provides free, walk-in access through the UK public library network to a wide range of academic articles and research.
Subjects include art, architecture, business, engineering, history, languages, politics, philosophy, mathematics and the sciences.
Due to licensing restrictions Access to Research can only be accessed in the library through Northamptonshire Libraries computer and Wi-Fi access at the following libraries:
- Brackley
- Brixworth
- Corby
- Daventry
- Duston
- Hunsbury
- Irthlingborough
- Kettering
- Northampton Central Library
- Oundle
- Rushden
- Towcester
- Wellingborough
- Weston Favell
Please note that not all articles listed on Access to Research can be viewed for free.
Please note: downloading or saving on to portable storage devices is not permitted.
Newspaper and magazine resources
Huffington Post (United Kingdom)
Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Radio Times: television and radio listings
Television and radio resources
Radio
Television
Information technology resources
Beginner's guides to computers and the internet:
Age UK: Technology and the internet
BBC iWonder: Understanding computer coding
Excel Easy: tutorial for beginners on how to use Microsoft Excel
Learn My Way: learn how to use the internet
Safety and security
Barclays Digital Wings: staying safe online
Digital Unite: internet security
Websites with information about internet safety and security for children and young people can be found in the good web guide parenting and families section.
Search engines
Social media
Parenting and families
Family days out
English Heritage: family days out
Mumsnet: family days out reviews
Visit Britain: family friendly holiday guide
Visit London: things to do in London with the kids
Your child's education
BBC: develop your digital skills for study success
Dad.info: support your child's education
Family Lives: secondary school
Information, Advice and Support Service (IASS Northants): special educational needs help and advice
National Literacy Trust: free resources for parents and families
Northamptonshire County Council Special Educational Needs: information for parents
Your child's health
Breastfeeding advice and information:
Association of Breastfeeding Mothers
Institute of Health Visiting: breastfeeding tips for Parents
NHS Choices: benefits of breastfeeding
Northamptonshire Breastfeeding Alliance
Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust: Children's 0 to 19 services
Drug, alcohol and substance abuse.
Includes support through live chat and helpline.
Family Lives
Listening, supportive and non-judgmental help and advice.
Community for Recovery
Supporting anyone whose life is affected by volatile substance abuse.
Supporting families affected by drugs and alcohol.
Eating disorders
MIND
Guidance for friends and family of someone with an eating disorder.
NHS Choices
Advice for parents on eating disorders.
General health advice
Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children
NHS Choices: child health assessment ages 1 to 5
NHS Choices: child development timeline ages 1 to 5
NHS Choices: child health ages 6 to 15
NHS Start4life: information service for parents
Legal highs
British Association of Social Workers
Parent handbook for talking to your child about legal highs and club drugs.
Talk to Frank
Includes support through live chat and helpline.
Mental health and wellbeing
OPAL Project
Resources for everyone affected by self-harm.
Papyrus
We deliver awareness and prevention training, provide confidential support and suicide intervention through HOPELineUK, campaign and influence national policy, and empower young people to lead suicide prevention activities in their own communities.
MIND
Information and support on mental health problems including depression.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
Includes advice on depression.
Your child's welfare
Advice for parents on bullying and cyber-bullying.
Advice for parents on bullying.
Barnardo's: child safety on the internet
Digital Unite: internet safety for kids
Parents' guide to safe Youtube and internet streaming for kids
UK Safer Internet Centre: young people
Keeping safe
Child Accident Prevention Trust
Working to reduce the number of children and young people killed, disabled or seriously injured in accidents.
Keep Safe Card
Scheme for anyone in Northamptonshire with a learning disability.
NSPCC
Advice on keeping your child safe.
Relationships and sex
NSPCC
Advice for parents on talking to teenagers about sex, relationships and how to stay safe.
Work, learning and volunteering
Jobseeker support including job club times
We work with various partners to offer job clubs to help jobseekers find and apply for jobs.
Search and apply for full or part-time jobs in Great Britain and abroad. You will first need to register with Find a Job to save job searches, upload your CV, set up email alerts and keep track of your past applications.
Career resources
Everything you need to know about apprenticeships.
Everything you need to know about freelancing.
Government advice on finding a job and claiming benefits.
Helping you to take the next step.
Careers website for young people aged 11 to 24.
The UK's official graduate careers service.
Free online careers platform, designed to connect 11 to 18 year olds with their future career potential.
Job resources
Rest less - job site for people aged over 50
Northamptonshire learning resources
Daventry University Technical College
Northamptonshire County Council: adult learning courses
Northamptonshire Schools Directory
Silverstone University Technical College
University of the Third Age (U3A): links to U3As in Northamptonshire
National learning resources
Duke of Edinburgh's Award: participants log-in page
National Numeracy Challenge (aims to reduce the number of adults in the UK with low numeracy skills)
Free online learning courses
Free online courses from top UK and international universities.
Directory of Massive Open Online Courses offered by different providers.
The home of free learning from the Open University.
Northamptonshire volunteering resources
Nene Valley Community Action (East Northamptonshire and Wellingborough)
Northampton Volunteering Centre
Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT)
Training Tracker is the training programme for volunteers with NHFT.
South Northamptonshire Volunteer Bureau
Volunteer Passport is for people who would like to help out their local community across Northamptonshire. The passport will allow volunteers to work across multiple organisations without having to repeat the same basic training. The Passport will enhance the service experience for volunteers, not for profit organisations and Primary Care Networks in Northamptonshire.
National volunteering resources
Association of Volunteer Managers
National networking group for volunteer managers.
Charity jobs and volunteering opportunities.
Volunteering made easy: search through over 800,000 opportunities and apply online.
Duke of Edinburgh's Award: volunteer roles
Support young people to gain this important recognition.
NCVO (National Council of Voluntary Organisations)
Umbrella body for the voluntary and community sector in England.
NHS information about the health benefits to both the volunteers and the people they help.
Volunteering opportunities for older adults.
Aged 14 to 25? Find a volunteering opportunity to suit you.
Volunteer Placements, rights and expenses
Government information on volunteering.
National volunteering body supporting best practice volunteering policy, research and innovation.
Last updated 03 August 2022