Over three years ago, local talk was littered with concern over the impending closure of Crofton Park Library as it was threatened with budget cuts by Lewisham Council, as well as four other libraries including those in Blackheath and Sydenham.
In each area, communities protested, met with local MPs and passionately launched petitions - acts similarly seen to successfully save services such as Lewisham Hospital’s A&E Department, in order to save their locally-loved libraries as they were seen as social and educational centres at the very heart of their areas from as early as 1905 for example in Crofton Park.
At the very last minute of the heated campaign to save the five Lewisham Council libraries under threat, the decision was made granting external businesses and charities to take them over if local residents wanted their libraries to remain. And so, the battle concluded with the social enterprise, Eco Communities, taking control over the Crofton Park, Sydenham and Grove Park libraries, and Blackheath’s library services being hosted by Age Exchange.
Today, Crofton Park Library, just a stone’s throw away from the train station, is a phoenix that has risen from the point of near-closure and has flourished into a thriving hub of amenities for the public such as computer services, tuition and a wide choice of books for children to name but a few.
In recent times, the library has also been the host of a variety of local events, including the popular ‘CroftFest’ which was held last month to support businesses within the area. The library was a great success in attracting crowds of families to partake in various activities, including a classic raffle and lucky dip.
Aside from traditionally borrowing books, visitors are also able to buy books, CDs and DVDs in wonderful condition from a wide-collection of generous donations, with prices only being a maximum of around £2 each. Keeping with the trend of reasonable prices, a small café is also available on-site, offering a selection of delicious herbal teas and coffees, as well as some tasty snacks too – perfect for sitting down at one of the many quiet tables and not only digesting a snack, but also your newest book.
However, none of this could be possible without the many public donations to the libraries of not just books, but also electrical appliances such as printers, televisions and computer monitors, which are all recycled in order to generate money for the library’s bills and to upkeep its day-to-day running.
Crofton Park Library’s manager, Allison Davies, does not only stress the importance of the donations from the public, but also the volunteers who give up their time to maintain the success of the community library. “Without our volunteers, the running of the library would simply be impossible. Unfortunately, many of our wonderful volunteers have moved on now to pursue other things, so it’s incredibly vital for people to come in and volunteer if they are willing to give up some valuable time.”
The same motion was seconded by one of the library’s very own volunteers, Valerie Farrell, who not only highlighted why a volunteer’s role is so important within the library but also how much the role means to her personally. “Over the years I’ve suffered with some health problems which have meant I am now unable to undertake any paid work. Volunteering has given me a chance to meet and work with some extraordinary people, whilst giving back to the community, and that gives me an extra incentive to volunteer at such a place like Crofton Park Library.”
As someone who has been volunteering at Crofton Park Library for just over five months now, I have seen first-hand how much the library means to those who volunteer there on a regular basis, as well as to visitors who borrow books or have a coffee fresh from the café, and how proud they are to have something of this kind on their doorstep. The only way we can sustain this satisfaction within the community of not only Crofton Park, but also the other four libraries which were threatened with closure three years ago, relies on us as a local body to keep them open through our generosity and donations, but also through visits to our libraries and through appreciation shown towards the volunteers who tirelessly keep these services open and continued.
Sophie Allen, Sydenham High School
