Three Year Report

A Report After Three Years

Background

Your Community Library took over providing the library service in September 2016 and this is a review of the present position.

Volunteers are the backbone of the service. They work in pairs to open the library; the detailed opening hours are on the inside page of “What’s On”. They offer as many hours as they wish, some doing 2 sessions a month and others 2 sessions a week. Their numbers have fluctuated over the 3 years with 22 at the moment.

We can always use more Volunteers; you do not need any special skills and training is provided. If you would like to help your community and become a Volunteer please contact the library on 02920 594176.

Present position

We have a wide stock of books, talking books and CD’s to lend. There is a separate Children’s Section with books for toddlers up to teenagers. Any resident, young or old, can use the library. We also have two computers for use by the public, one only for the library Catalogue and the other to use the internet.

While the books, shelves and computers are provided by the Vale Council we have to pay our way in other areas. The library building is owned by the Wenvoe Community Council and we pay to use it including heating costs. We also have to pay for insurance, burglar alarm, telephone and running costs.

We have started a range of new initiatives to raise money:

  • Regular coach trips to London. The next one is in the Autumn.
  • Coach trips to Bath and Cheddar/Clark’s Village. The coach trips have proved very popular.
  • Raffles at Christmas and Easter. The prizes for raffles are donated by Volunteers and members of the public.
  • Sales of donated books at the library, at 2 local pubs, the Horse & Jockey and Wenvoe Arms, the Copthorne Hotel, and pop-up book stalls outside the Village Shop.
  • Sponsorship of the Wenvoe Village Show in September.
  • Family history tutorials at the library.
  • Welsh conversation meetings at the Wenvoe Garden Centre Restaurant.
  • “Meet the Author” talks at the Wenvoe Arms organised by our newly formed Friends of the Library Group.
  • A one-off initiative with Waitrose at Barry.
  • We were successful in being awarded a grant from the YMCA (1910) Trust to purchase a replacement colour printer and other items of equipment.

 

We invite Wenvoe Residents to take part in our fund raising initiatives so that we can pay our way and keep our Community Library.

 

We hope to have a new building in due course and welcome people to visit us there.

 

Community Library Management Team