You are never too young or old to help at the Barham Volunteer Library.
7 year old Gabriella for example has helped by reading stories to other children. We need people to display Posters about our Library in their windows or simply spending an hour at our Library helping with reading, colouring in, the quiz or anything else.
Please come along on any Saturday to our Volunteer Library at Barham School and see how you may be able to help.
The Volunteer Library run by Friends of Barham Library from the former nursery building at Barham Primary School Danethorpe Road Wembley HA0 4RQ is a great success.
Opened on Saturday 21 April the Library has now been packed every Saturday since with people of all ages – but especially children and young people.
Over 120 members have joined so far and the Library offers books, reading space, weekly quiz, story readings, puzzles and colouring in. The Library is open between 11a.m. to 2p.m. every Saturday until the end of July.
“We have always known that our area needs a local library to serve the people of Sudbury and North Wembley. We are keen to return to the former library in Barham Park and will do our best to serve local people until this happens” says Gaynor Lloyd one of Friends of Barham Library many loyal volunteers.
Offers of help with volunteering, fundraising or donations of books, CDs, DVDs or even cash very welcome. Please email barhamlibrary@hotmail.co.uk or simply come along to the library at Barham School on any Saturday during opening time.
We want to know your experiences after Brent Council closed Barham Library.
We will celebrate National Library Day with a ‘pop up library, readings, presentations, games and refreshments. But we will also gather evidence from local people of how the closure of Barham Library has impacted on their use of the library service.
Please come along on Saturday 4 February between 10a.m. to 3p.m. to Barham Lounge 660 Harrow Road Wembley (the front building of the library complex opposite Chaplin Road).
Outside the High Court
The High Court Hearing, which started on Tuesday 19 July, took 3 days to hear all the evidence and legal arguments.
The Judge has reserved his judgment which may be received in August.
Friend of Barham Library, Cllr Paul Lorber, who attended on all 3 days commented,“We have done our best to try to save Barham Library and the other 5 and hope for the right result soon”
For more information see - brentsoslibraries.org.uk
Gaynor Lloyd, Margaret Roake and Elly Brewer supporting the libraries campaign
Local residents campaigning to save Barham Park and the other five Brent Libraries under threat of closure took their message to the Sudbury Court Residents Association Family Fun Day on Sunday 19 June 2011.
With the help of BBC scriptwriter Elly Brewer, who is lead writer on BAFTA award-winning children’s TV programme Tracy Beaker Returns, they sold books, collected donations and encouraged visitors to look for hidden Library Treasure on their Brent Treasure Hunt Map.
Elly Brewer contributed and autographed her own book all seventeen copies of which were snapped up on the day.
Thanks to the support of local people nearly £400 was raised towards the cost of the legal challenge against Brent Council. The legal challenge, which is supported by residents across Brent, is an action by users of all six Libraries under threat of closure: Barham Park , Cricklewood, Kensal Rise, Neasden, Preston and Tokyngton.
The users claim Brent Council ignored local people and is riding roughshod over their views. Over half of the six libraries’ active users are under 19. The campaign believes the young people of Brent will suffer most if Labour Councillor Ann John, who leads Brent Council, gets her way and succeeds in closing the six libraries.
Gaynor Lloyd, one of the active users of Barham Library, said:
“I cannot think of anything that makes me more angry. As a child, I loved my weekly visit with my Mum to the library – 35 years later I get the same joy taking my daughter to Barham Library.”
“I cannot believe that a Labour administration choose to cut libraries –one service that can even out equality of life chances and good health by giving access to a lifelong love of reading. And, no, Councillor John, you can’t get that by buying a book at Tesco.”
Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Paul Lorber who helped with the stall has called on Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State responsible for Libraries, to initiate a Public Inquiry into Brent Council’s conduct and the future of the Library Service in Brent. He is critical of Brent Council Executive’s faliure to engage properly with local people and take advantage of all the goodwill towards Libraries.
He said:
“There are hundreds of local people across Brent who are willing to help raise funds and support all twelve Libraries in Brent. It is a disgrace that the Council refuses to listen to their views and instead uses taxpayers’ money on expensive lawyers to justify the closure of six popular community libraries across Brent.”
Councillor Paul Lorber would like to say a Big THANK YOU on behalf of Friends of Barham Library to everyone who took part in the Run or Walk on Saturday 28 May 2011 and everyone who sponsored him with a donation.
Despite a dull overcast day everyone who took part had a good time. Paul reached his personal target of rasing at least £1,000 in sponsorship (he collected £1,015 already) with more to come in and it is hoped that the event raised around £1,500 for FOBL in total.
There is still time to add to the sponsorship total. A Gift Aid sponsorship form can be found in the Fun Run & Walk tab.
PS. Thank You to the regular Barham Park walkers and to the youngsters from Barham Primary School.
Friends of Barham received the GOOD NEWS last week that we have been officially registered as a Charity by the Charities Commission.
FOBL’s Charity Number is 1142113.
This gives us the additional incentive to get on with our fundraising activities.
