Friends of Thurston Library
The purpose of the Friends of Thurston Library is to support our public library and the continued improvement of the facilities and service to our community.
Our aims
- Promote Thurston Library as a vital part of the local community
- Raise funds that will support and increase the provision of library services
- Support the library staff in delivering a highly effective service
- Provide more opportunities for the community to engage with the library
- Contribute to the development of library services in Suffolk
Who we are
- Chair: Richard Fawcett
- Vice Chair: Peter Robinson
- Secretary: Ann Verity
… and an active committee always looking for new members.
Contact us
- Richard Fawcett: richard4cett@gmail.com
Other committee members
- Library manager: Cathy McDonald
- Community libraries manager: Jack Norman
- County councillor Penny Otton
The rest of the group is made up of volunteers from the community.
The story so far
We were set up in 2012, with the support of Thurston Parish Council.
Richard Fawcett, as a parish councillor, was fundamental in setting up the group.
We’ve successfully promoted the library and raised funds for many facilities and equipment. Our most recent success has been the building of the new Children’s Library. It has been widely welcomed and praised; in the words of one young man on seeing it for the first time: ‘Double Awesome!”
We are committed to the long-term future of the library as focus for our rapidly expanding community. We contribute to the village newsletter every month to raise awareness of the library and encourage participation in fund-raising and community events. These have recently included:
- Full of Beans: a production for children by Full House Theatre and the Theatre Royal
- Half term crafts
- Wine tasting evening – Spanish wines
- Thurston Bronze: creation of Year 6 bronzes within the Suffolk Libraries BLOC programme
- Bike Maintenance Saturdays during the summer
- Thurston Scarecrow Festival
- Meal and Race Night
- Film making with support of BLOC
- John Martin: talk by the crime author
- Thurston Village Quiz
- Coach trip to London
- Thurston Christmas Tree Festival.
Friends Group Clubs and Activities
We have active groups that meet in the library:
- Ancestry
- Art
- Community singing
- Craft
- Geocaching
- Lego
- Manga
- Sewing
Everyone is very welcome to join.
The Manga Group is believed to be the only regular-meeting Suffolk Libraries group for teenagers.
Future plans
- Engaging with the expanding community to increase membership of the library
- Increasing the range of services for children and adults in the library
- Making the library dementia-friendly
- An extensive programme of events to both bring people to the library and support the community of Thurston.
Do get in touch with us!