News in brief

With the Olympic Games just around the corner and the borough hosting the volleyball competition at Earls Court, now is the perfect time to try out the sport.

Free coaching sessions, run by national volleyball champions Polonia Volleyball Club, are being held on Wednesday evenings, between 6-7pm at Kensington Leisure Centre.

Two women, aged 17 and 26, have been arrested on suspicion of theft following an incident at a shop in Westbourne Grove.

On Friday January 20, at about 6pm police were called by security staff at the shop who reported two women had gone into the shop, put items of clothing in their bags and quickly left.

For anyone who has not visited one recently, National Libraries Day on February 4 is the perfect chance to pop into your local branch and look at what is on offer.

Not only can classics and the latest best sellers be borrowed for free, but CDs, DVDs and language courses are also offered at a competitive rate.

Think Chinese at Kensington Central Library this half term with a variety of Oriental-themed activities for four to eight year-olds.

Youngsters can enjoy singing, painting and taking part in a range of crafts including calligraphy on Monday February 13, to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Thinking about what to do next? Whether it's a career as a stylist to the stars, a high-flying sports coach or an inspiring teacher, Kensington and Chelsea College has courses to suit most people.

There are more than 900 courses to choose from, with a wide range of learning styles including apprenticeships, vocational courses, and work and community-based learning.

And on Thursday February 9, the college's Chelsea Centre is throwing its doors open and inviting potential students to meet with tutors and students.

Pupils from low-income families in Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster do better in exams than children in most other boroughs, according to think tank CentreForum.

The three boroughs are ranked in the top 10 in the country, with 61% of pupils from lower income families in Kensington and Chelsea scoring five A* to C grades at GCSE including English and Maths, 56% in Westminster and 51% in H&F.

An evening with Steven Berkoff is being held at the Tabernacle in Powis Square on Saturday February 11.

The actor, director, playwright and author will be talking to the audience about his life, and there will also be performances, to raise money for learning difficulties charity Equal People.

Proud Chelsea Gallery will be hosting an exhibition featuring photographic portraits of the disappearing Arctic landscape and of the Inuit people who live there.

The Last Days of the Arctic will showcase the work of photojournalist Ragnar Axelsson, inspired by Greenland and the Inuit community which lives there despite barely habitable conditions.

Two drop in sessions for residents to learn about the next steps in the Kensington Academy and Leisure Centre project are being held later this month.

These will be an opportunity to see how the plans have progressed since the council agreed on an architect for the site.

Anyone aged between 14 and 19 and living in Kensington and Chelsea is invited to pitch health and social care project ideas to a team of 'dragons' for the chance to win up to £1,000.

The competition, run by RBKC Link, gives the opportunity to gain new skills while improving health and social care for young people, and the winners will be chosen at a Dragons' Den-style event on March 1.