Third community run and managed library approved in Camden

Date:   

Primrose Hill Community Association has been given the go-ahead to set up a fully community managed and run library in Chalk Farm – just weeks after the first two in the country were approved in the same area of North West London.

Camden Council have approved transitional funding and grants from the Camden People’s Fund of over £100,000 for each group to deliver libraries and community projects through a radical new approach. This will mean that for the first time in the UK, these facilities will be run by residents offering their time and managed by Primrose Hill Community Association (Chalk Farm library); The Winch (Belsize library); and Keats Community Library (Heath library in Hampstead).

What is particularly innovative about this new arrangement is that these community facilities will be fully independent and self governed but supported with substantial initial funding from the Council to get them off the ground.

The three community groups successfully met the Council’s criteria of delivering a viable and sustainable business model and appropriate self governance. In return they will benefit from support for their running costs for the first year, from April 2012, and one-off grants to help them get started.

The Council will now be working with these three groups to provide support and training before the handover of the keys to the individual buildings on the 31st March 2012.

Councillor Tulip Siddiq, Cabinet Member for Culture, Camden Council said:

“It is fantastic news that we have found a viable community proposal for Chalk Farm. We have worked extensively with the Primrose Hill Community Association to reach this point and will continue to do so.

"It’s been a difficult year for the Council as we need to deliver a savings programme of £83m following cuts in government funding - this includes around £2m from Libraries. We are determined to minimise disruption to the library service and make the best of a bad situation.

“This just shows how Camden residents are willing to step up and help run their well loved libraries. The Primrose Hill Community Association, as well as the Winch and Keats have shown this passion for their community in addition to having the financial acumen in the business plans.

“We will be doing everything possible to support these groups and make this innovative approach a success before handing over the keys to the community.”

Maureen Betts Chair of the Primrose Hill Community Association said:

“This agreement secures the long term future of Chalk Farm Library – to be called the Primrose Hill Community Library - and enables us to deliver our radical new vision to transform the building into a welcoming innovative area for the community open all week.
 
“Our aim is to continue to deliver the core aspects of the existing service such as the children’s library, but also having a more flexible structure offering a meeting area with a café, wi fi, computers, reading room, film club, art exhibitions etc.

“We have been absolutely overwhelmed by the response from the community and have worked extremely hard with Camden Council to come to an agreement. We still need more offers of help and donations to ensure that we can deliver this bold ambition but hope that with this agreement in place these will continue to be forthcoming. To date 350 people have pledged to donate £521,000 and over 150 people have volunteered to give their time to help in the library building which is fantastic.”

Ref Code:   PR 1581
Contact:
    

pressoffice@camden.gov.uk