A room, named in honour of an inspirational member of Somerset Council’s Public Health team, has been opened at Yeovil Library.
The Finnis Room is dedicated to the memory of Louise Finnis who led work on Public Mental Health with imagination, creativity and dedication. She sadly died only a few days after she retired.
She was also a pioneer in celebrating the value of libraries for public health. She provided the inspiration and funding to create the Wellbeing zones in Taunton and Yeovil libraries. And she established the first collection of wellbeing books across Somerset Libraries, the Somerset Mental Health Collection. She was ahead of the time as this initiative was later mirrored by a national scheme.
Louise’s husband Jim Binning cut the ribbon to open the room in the company of staff from the Council’s libraries and public health teams.
Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Public Health and the Environment, Councillor Graham Oakes said at the ceremony:
We hope her legacy is well served by this room in Yeovil Library which enables a range of wellbeing activities and support to be delivered at the heart of the community.
The room, created during the refurbishment of Yeovil Library, is currently being used for NHS Health Checks every Tuesday and the Employment Hub every Wednesday.
The separate space allows more privacy for people accessing those services.
