Read more on this

Read more on this

New Invention Community come together to create a HIVE of activity

by Ian Shires on 23 March, 2017

Back in October last year Walsall Council had only sufficient funding to keep one library open and that was the Central Library next to the Council House in Walsall town centre thanks to continuing austerity measures from Mrs May’s Tories at Westminster.

The Council needs to spend £86 million less over the next four years to balance the books due to cuts in its funding, but by working with partners, in particular the voluntary sector, and by cutting red tape they have been able to pull together sufficient funding to ensure that a library exists in each of the District Centres as well as Walsall’s Central Library.

So, the good news is that Willenhall, Darlaston, Bloxwich, Brownhills and Aldridge all get to keep their libraries open. Unfortunately, the budget is still £1.8 million short of the current cost of keeping all libraries open. That means there are nine smaller libraries which can’t be kept open after the end of June and that includes our library up at The Square, New Invention.

New Invention Community Forum set to create a BUZZ for the Hive on the Square:

“I’m really pleased that a group of volunteers has joined forces with New Invention Community Forum to take up the challenge to create a community hub within  New Invention Library and the former council offices above the shops at The Square shopping precinct, Lichfield Rd.” said Willenhall North’s Liberal Democrat Cllr Ian Shires.

They will be working closely with the Council to develop proposals on a rescue plan for the Library and Resource Centre which could see an extended range of activities and services for the local community from the Centre which it wants to see become a Community Hive –

Image result for community hubs ukIdeas include a library style book exchange service, weekly parent and toddler groups, parenting and health advice, affordable room hire for local clubs and societies, craft and hobby classes, sensory classes, facilities for young people, IT literacy and homework clubs, coffee and chat clubs to reduce social isolation and a Repair café which is part of a nationwide initiative where members of the community share their skills and repair broken goods for other members of the community for a small donation.

The Forum is also planning on delivering two community events each year at the Square including a Christmas event as a chance to showcase the good work and positive Buzz that the Resource Centre hopes to have generated.

To find out more about the kinds of services and activities that the local community want to see being developed, the Forum is holding the first of several consultation events at The Square on Saturday 22 April (11am to 3pm).

Wendy Evans, Chair of New Invention Community Forum said, “ We have had an encouraging response so far from the Council to our ideas and we now need the local community to come forward and tell us their ideas of what they would want to see and will support being provided from the Resource Centre. Other areas in Walsall have these kind of facilities and there is no reason why we can’t do the same here at New Invention if enough people come forward with their ideas and offers to support us. This is a vital time for New Invention and we need the community to come forward to help us.”

Rupy Pandaal, Secretary for the Forum said “The Library is set to close at the end of June this year and it is important that the Forum has a clear steer on what the community want and will support. The rescue plan can only be successful if we pull together as a community and we are hoping for local people to come forward in numbers with their ideas and offers to help develop this proposal to preserve community services on the Square.”

   Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>