Eltham Library has been twinned with Kyiv's Central Library as part of a national initiative.

The south-east London library was paired with the Ukrainian capital's library by the charity Libraries Connected.

The twinning is part of a national initiative aiming to connect more than 20 areas of the UK with Ukrainian libraries.

The aim is to share information and skills, develop joint initiatives, and celebrate British and Ukrainian language, literature, and culture.

Eltham, known for Henry VIII’s palace and as Boy George's birthplace, has also become a haven for Ukrainian refugees in recent years.

The borough's libraries, under the ‘Better’ brand, are managed by charitable social enterprise GLL.

Miriam Storey, GLL’s sector libraries manager, spearheaded the twinning application.

She said: "A lot of Ukrainians already use the library so it makes perfect sense.

"We started buying Ukrainian book stock a while back and we produced a document in Ukrainian, explaining how the library works."

Eltham Library has also collaborated with UK Arts Hub, a Ukrainian-run organisation.

They are in contact with young artists back home who create artwork in underground bunkers during the fighting.

The library hosted an exhibition featuring these paintings and drawings.

Stanislav, a Ukrainian resident in Eltham and UK Arts Hub member, expressed his excitement about the twinning.

He said: "Thank you very much!

"What great news!

"You are amazing Miriam and thank you very much for all great work you do and your kind support.

"And surely it will send a huge positive and inspiring message to the Ukrainian community and enrich our cultural links between our countries.

"Me and my parents became regular visitors to the library and we are very pleased that we can read books in Ukrainian.

"It is also very important for children to keep their language skills."

Since the start of the full-scale Russian engagement, over 1,000 cultural heritage sites in Ukraine, including hundreds of libraries, have been damaged or destroyed.

These libraries have quickly adapted to the wartime conditions, focusing on mental health support, combating misinformation, and providing practical aid like first aid training and rest stations for combatants.

Through the twinning scheme, Libraries Connected aims to offer moral and practical support to Ukrainian library staff working in these challenging conditions.