Library fundraiser exceeds £250,000

Donations have been paused on the fundraiser to allow the transfer of money to the council

A fundraiser to help renovate a library which was set on fire during the recent disorder in Liverpool has been paused, after donations topped more than £250,000.

Spellow Library Hub, on County Road, Walton, was damaged after it was set alight by vandals during riots near a mosque on 3 August.

The fundraiser, set up by Alex McCormick, had originally hoped to raise £500 to support the refurbishment of the council-run hub and allow it to "shine again".

Ms McCormick said she was "overwhelmed" by the support, with the funds set to be passed on to the local authority before repair work begins.

Thousands donated to the fundraiser, which generated support from famous faces and royalty, including the Queen who donated a box of 67 books.

TV chef Nigella Lawson and Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce also contributed to the fundraiser, with donations coming from as far afield as Dubai and the US.

Ms McCormick, from Netherton, said a £500 donation from Liverpool Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram on Monday helped the fundraiser pass the £250,000 mark.

Posting on social media, she wrote: “I am absolutely overwhelmed and so emotional – what an incredible thing we have done as a community.

“There is not a lot I can say right now, other than thank you – thank you to everyone who has donated, liked, commented and shared."

Spellow Library was broken into and set alight during violent scenes on County Road

A delegation, including Jonathan Reynolds MP, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, parliamentary colleagues Dan Carden and Kim Johnson, and Liam Robinson, leader of Liverpool Council, visited the library earlier this month to assess the damage.

Councillor Robinson told the LDRS how there was a “resolute” commitment to get the site back open in weeks, rather than months.

Councillor Ruth Bennett previously said the donations, as well as the many offers of alternative buildings to host activities which had been intended to take place in the library this summer, showed the "very best of the people of Liverpool and beyond".