The North Harrow Community Library, is the only one of it’s kind in Harrow and has been a hub of community connection and support since 2018. However, the volunteer-run library is facing the looming threat of closure due to financial problems.
It was one of four libraries shut down in 2015 by the council due to lack of funds. It reopened 3 years later as a community library, and since then, has served as a vital space for social interaction, embodying the essence of community spirit and inclusivity.
Credit: Madhurima Dutta
The services
The library’s mission transcends mere book lending. At its core, it strives to help anyone seeking assistance. It operates as a place where people can come and talk to someone, use computers, whilst also offering a diverse array of activities such as yoga, meditation, crafts, and knitting.
Knitting is one of the many community-building activities at North Harrow Library. Credit: Madhurima Dutta
Additionally, the library has been functioning as a warm hub, after the “warm hubs” scheme was rolled out in 2022 as a response to rising energy bills.
Community voices
Kamal Shah, the Chair of North Harrow Library, underscored the library’s integral role in fostering community cohesion.
“[This] is a very important space…this place brings communities from all religions, all nationalities and integrates them,” he emphasised.
Library patrons Doreen and Louise knitting together. Credit: Madhurima Dutta
For 98-year-old Doreen, a regular visitor, the library is a source of companionship and purpose. “We knit for good causes…[and] we have the company of each other. It’s a good mixture of women, so we learn from each other as well.”
Fellow patron Louise echoed the sentiment, saying the library is a “lovely hub” to come to. She emphasised the growing significance of community in a rapidly changing world.
“Places like this are so valuable and they work so hard to pay for it and keep it going,” she remarked.
The challenges
Although the library receives funding from the local government for the warm hub initiative, it is in need of financial support to not lose the place and sustain its other community-building operations.
Mr Shah said: “We have to raise £30,000 every year to pay for our bills; gas, electric, insurance, repairs. We need [financial] security because we provide a service which is very important”.
He highlighted that having to provide services and raise money at the same time has been “quite difficult”.
THE FUTURE
Mr Shah said the library is “amazingly loved” and it should be able to continue serving the community. As Chair of the Community Libraries’ Network of England and Wales, his plans for the future are to try and lobby politicians at the national level to receive core funding and ensure survival of community-run libraries like North Harrow.
His long term aim, however, extends beyond mere survival. He envisions upgrading and reorganising the library to optimise its space.
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Standfirst
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HeadlineFunding crisis threatens Harrow’s only community library
Short HeadlineHarrow library fears closure without funds
StandfirstThe North Harrow Community Library has to raise £30,000 to avoid shut down.
The North Harrow Community Library, is the only one of it’s kind in Harrow and has been a hub of community connection and support since 2018. However, the volunteer-run library is facing the looming threat of closure due to financial problems.
It was one of four libraries shut down in 2015 by the council due to lack of funds. It reopened 3 years later as a community library, and since then, has served as a vital space for social interaction, embodying the essence of community spirit and inclusivity.
Credit: Madhurima Dutta
The services
The library’s mission transcends mere book lending. At its core, it strives to help anyone seeking assistance. It operates as a place where people can come and talk to someone, use computers, whilst also offering a diverse array of activities such as yoga, meditation, crafts, and knitting.
Knitting is one of the many community-building activities at North Harrow Library. Credit: Madhurima Dutta
Additionally, the library has been functioning as a warm hub, after the “warm hubs” scheme was rolled out in 2022 as a response to rising energy bills.
Community voices
Kamal Shah, the Chair of North Harrow Library, underscored the library’s integral role in fostering community cohesion.
“[This] is a very important space…this place brings communities from all religions, all nationalities and integrates them,” he emphasised.
Library patrons Doreen and Louise knitting together. Credit: Madhurima Dutta
For 98-year-old Doreen, a regular visitor, the library is a source of companionship and purpose. “We knit for good causes…[and] we have the company of each other. It’s a good mixture of women, so we learn from each other as well.”
Fellow patron Louise echoed the sentiment, saying the library is a “lovely hub” to come to. She emphasised the growing significance of community in a rapidly changing world.
“Places like this are so valuable and they work so hard to pay for it and keep it going,” she remarked.
The challenges
Although the library receives funding from the local government for the warm hub initiative, it is in need of financial support to not lose the place and sustain its other community-building operations.
Mr Shah said: “We have to raise £30,000 every year to pay for our bills; gas, electric, insurance, repairs. We need [financial] security because we provide a service which is very important”.
He highlighted that having to provide services and raise money at the same time has been “quite difficult”.
THE FUTURE
Mr Shah said the library is “amazingly loved” and it should be able to continue serving the community. As Chair of the Community Libraries’ Network of England and Wales, his plans for the future are to try and lobby politicians at the national level to receive core funding and ensure survival of community-run libraries like North Harrow.
His long term aim, however, extends beyond mere survival. He envisions upgrading and reorganising the library to optimise its space.
