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Voices for Gainsborough Community Library

Our Aims

  • To promote the use of libraries and support library staff in Suffolk and specifically Gainsborough Community Library by any of the following:
    • Developing co-operation between libraries and its communities and ensuring all sections of the community have a voice within this
    • Facilitating communication between local people and their local library in an empowering way
    • Encouraging use of the library by underrepresented groups
    • Helping to recruit and organise volunteers for specific purposes to support the library and the running of the Voices café
    • Fundraising, obtaining sponsorship and donations, through events and the Voices café
    • Helping to safeguard the future of libraries and develop innovations in service delivery

Who we are

Committee members for Voices:

  • Chair: Allie C
  • Vice chair: Amy P
  • Secretary: Carol D
  • Treasurer & library representative: Mandy Grimwood
  • Library representative: Kim

Other Committee members:

  • Elizabeth S
  • Sue B
  • Juliet W
  • Leon P
  • Sarah W
  • Colin M

Contact us

The story so far

We were established in March 2008 to enable the local community to work with Suffolk County Council on the Lottery Funded project to re-build the library, which opened in 2009. Since then a new team of volunteers have taken over the committee and are very active in the library. Voices became a charity in January 2016; registered charity number: 1165302.

Recent successes

  • Running of the library café, staffed by volunteers
  • Supported successful library events such as Harry Potter Night, World Book Day and World Book Night Events
  • Supported the annual Summer Reading Challenge, offering weekly craft sessions through the holiday
  • Jointly worked with Friends of Landseer Park to offer two successful Gainsborough Community Fun Days, in 2015 & 2016, bringing organisations together to offer more in the local community
  • Helped to organise a community weekend and birthday celebration for the library
  • Obtained funding for the development of further activities for children and young people
  • Obtained funding to create an additional room and to make all library shelving mobile
  • Obtained funding to support Top Time activities for older people
  • Introduced new groups and activities to promote health and well being
  • Supported summer holiday trips for young people
  • Supported a reward trip to the pantomime for young people
  • Organised and funded Food Safety and First Aid qualifications for local people
  • Held a Talent Night for young People
  • Held a live music night
  • Held a Flash Mob & Teenz take over the library to raise over £300 for Children in Need
  • Held annual Christmas Fair
  • Held a Christmas disco for local young people

Future plans

We’re currently developing a range of plans to help support and promote Gainsborough Community Library. These include:

  • Applying for funds to offer additional activities and groups
  • Investigate advancement of community café
  • Provide public events to raise funds
  • Expand youth activities within the library
  • Offer more volunteering opportunities
  • Offer more opportunities to learn life skills
  • Sourcing funding to add a garden room extension

Documents

Annual Chairpersons Report 2018/19 for Voices 4 Gainsborough Community Library (V4GCL) (PDF)