FOCUS ON blog - LIBRARY FOR

LIBRARY FOR is the first community project to feature in the PCVS Focus On blog this year. The Focus On blog shines a spotlight on local VCS groups and charities based in and around the Peterborough area. Focus On is where we celebrate the achievements of organisations and groups, which make a positive impact on local communities.

LIBRARY FOR is a lending library and community space based at Peterborough’s Central Library. Unlike a traditional library, LIBRARY FOR loans household items such as ice-cream makers, sanders and pressure washers, instead of books.  In late 2023 we asked one of the eight people who run LIBRARY FOR, Community Host, Jasmine Kelly-gobuiwang, what are the objectives of the organisation?

We are LIBRARY FOR. We lend out equipment for a cheap price of £1 for 7 days and give free access to our space for workshops, events and activities to take place. We also work with people and communities we believe will create ethical change in Peterborough by putting on a range of free workshops like wildflower seed bomb, Filipino Parol (Lantern Stars), Recycling Arts and Craft and Stage Presence Workshops. LIBRARY FOR also provides CV Skills and Healthy You, Health Checks.

We also asked Jasmine to describe some of LIBRARY FOR’s latest achievements in helping communities in Peterborough. Jasmine said,

We want to connect with all of Peterborough as much as we can and one way we have done that is through our workshops working with 35 communities, connecting with organisations like; PECT, Project Abundance, PARCA, Healthy You, and  Peterborough Filipino British Hub while also having great artists like Xidus Pain. All these organisations have had great success in our space. Many of these workshops have been paid for by us making it possible for all to come and enjoy or give space to learn. We have saved £2376+, saved 342 kg waste and 1.71 tonnes of CO2 saved!

LIBRARY FOR was created in partnerships with CIVIC and PECT to help local communities struggling with the cost of living crisis, in a sustainable way. If you would like to find out more about how the organisation is connecting with communities, find details of the events taking place in the community space, or would like to browse the catalogue of items on loan, you can access the LIBRARY FOR website by clicking here.

Focus On is an occasional blog published by PCVS. If your charity or voluntary and community sector group would like to feature in a Focus On blog, please contact PCVS Community Coordinator, Hazel Perry, at hazel.perry@pcvs.co.uk