NEW LOOK FOR A MUCH-LOVED LOCAL LIBRARY

Moorland Road Library has been saved from closure after it was hit by council spending cuts. After over a year’s work by a dedicated group of local residents, the Oldfield Park library has reopened as a Community Library.

Chair of Trustees, Liz Hearn, said “I am so excited to be launching our new Community Library! We are so grateful for all the help and support received from local residents and businesses. The library is looking much brighter thanks to a good clean and a lick of paint, and we have newly trained and enthusiastic volunteer library assistants and a range of Libraries West books, both on the shelves and available to order and reserve online. Come and see us!”

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The Library has a Localgiving page and have already raised more than £600 from the generosity of people donating on the site. Along with support from charitable funds, this will help to run the library and to develop a new income stream for the future. Liz Hearn said: “We are planning to offer our building as a meeting room during times when the library is closed. We have received funding to help with equipment and hope to launch this service soon. We feel that the Moorland Road area will benefit from a low-cost space for hire for community groups and others to use.”

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Visitors will find that the Library has a vibrant new look. Trustee for Community Engagement, Alice Boden, said: “Thanks to the generosity of the Medlock Foundation and Roper Rhodes, we were able to run an illustration workshop for children at Oldfield Park Junior School to create art for the library walls. Simon Kingston, a local designer, donated his time to create the final designs, and Freestyle Designs printed and installed them – we think they really communicate the magic of books and reading, and we hope library visitors will agree!”

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The library will be open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 9am until 2pm, and all day on Fridays from 9am until 4:30pm.