Local News: Jesmond Library
If you are a Jesmond local already or are now looking to move into the area a great source of information is jesmondlocal.com
In a recent article they outlined a great plan for an important service at the heart of our community by announcing that Jesmond Library is to receive a five-figured boost for a new project that will see a major revamp take place.
We as a company have sponsored the local library as we truly believe in the philosophy of making sure you invest in your area and give back when you have enjoyed success. This time the library has secured a £50,000 grant from Biffa Award, a multi-million fund that awards grants to build communities and transform the environment.
The project will renovate the upper room, which used to serve as the librarian’s office but is currently unused,and will create a new space for community use. The room can be reached by an open-sided staircase “of considerable architectural interest”, which requires an upgrade to be suitable for public use.
Chris Clarke, company secretary and treasurer of the Friends of Jesmond Library, said: “The current proposal is to add reinforced glass side panels to the staircase and completely refurbish the upstairs room for use as another community room, for meetings, classes and a wide variety of other community events.” Finn Willingham, Chair of the Friends of Jesmond Library, said: “The library occupies an important place in the social history of Jesmond. The funding from Biffa Award offers a fantastic opportunity for the library to play an important part in the area’s future, by further enhancing the library’s role as a community hub.”
In June 2013, Jesmond Library had to close its doors amid the city council’s £100m cuts package but was almost immediately reopened by local residents. A group of 30 people came together as the Friends of Jesmond Library to devise a strategy that could save the library. Since then, the building has been open three days a week as a public library and every day as a community hub that offers classes and hosts talks and group meetings.
It is an active demonstration of the community spirit that is alive and well in Jesmond and just one of the reasons it is a great place to live.
The works should be completed by August 2017.
Article taken in part from www.jesmondlocal.com