Volunteers take on last threatened library in North Northants

Pauline Wood brings her granddaughter to the library for storytime every Tuesday

The last of a council's libraries that was threatened with closure has been handed over to volunteers to run.

The transfer of Raunds library to community management completes the handover of 10 book-lending facilities in the North Northamptonshire area.

The Raunds facility will be jointly run by the town's Community Library Trust and Creating Tomorrow College.

Students with learning difficulties will be among those working there.

Raunds was one of 21 libraries threatened with closure by the struggling Northamptonshire County Council in 2018.

It became a community library, renting premises from the former authority, but was threatened again when Raunds Town Council decided it was no longer needed.

A partnership was set up last year between Raunds Community Library Trust (RCLT) and the Creating Tomorrow College (CTC) to safeguard the library's future - and it has now been handed over to them.

Mike Commins, treasurer of the Community Library Trust, says the partnership gives the library a secure future

Mike Commins, the treasurer of RCLT, said: "Since Creating Tomorrow came on board, we know that we've got a secure future because they've become the landlord, leaving us to run the library in conjunction with them helping out."

The involvement of CTC also means the library can provide valuable work experience for people with learning difficulties, who will work alongside volunteers.

Carol Wilson-Frizzell, director of Creating Tomorrow College, said the library helps students with learning difficulties learn a range of skills

The director of the college, Carol Wilson-Frizzell, said: "Our students come on a daily basis with a job coach to learn the employability skills that are relevant to library work, but also the wider skills [such as] teamwork, communication, and working with the public."

Pauline Wood is one of the many local people who are glad the library has survived.

She is a regular visitor with her two-year-old granddaughter, Freya.

She said: "We've been coming to Tuesday mornings at the library, where they've been doing play with the children - story time and an activity.

"When you're looking after grandchildren, this is a lovely resource".