Helping Hands at Crafternoons
Kirsty Brown is a valued volunteer at Manawatū Community Hub Libraries, known for her friendly, hands-on support during the weekly Crafternoon sessions. She first came to the library with her daughter to take part in craft activities, where she met Val Leighton, who was leading the sessions and creating the weekly crafts — a role Val still holds today. That was seven years ago. Now that her daughter is twelve and has found other interests. Kirsty has chosen to stay on, this time as a volunteer.
With a natural interest in crafts, Kirsty enjoys helping young children explore their creativity. “You never know what they’re going to create at that age,” she says. The sessions, aimed at 5 to 8-year-olds, are relaxed and rewarding. “There’s no right or wrong — we just let the creativity flow!” she adds. She also appreciates the balance of activities across age groups, with Crafternoons for younger kids and Craft Lab offering more detailed projects for older ones.
In her free time, Kirsty enjoys dabbling in card making, scrapbooking, and paper flower crafting. She's also a keen reader, having picked up 37 books at the annual library book sale recently and finished 25 books so far this year. She prefers reading physical books, especially stories with substance. Often choosing Australian outback fiction and authors like Karly Lane and Trisha Stringer.
Kirsty lives in Feilding with her husband and daughter, and together they run a building company. She also manages life with Fibromyalgia Chronic Pain Syndrome, which can make everyday tasks more challenging. When she’s feeling well, she chooses to spend her time giving back to the community in a way that’s both personal and meaningful.
Kirsty Brown enjoying a coffee at No Knead to Book Café.