Northfields Community Library Wins Award


Volunteers honoured at this year's Ealing Voluntary Sector Awards

Trustees Meena Shah, Joy Doyle and Maureen Boughton
Trustees Meena Shah, Joy Doyle and Maureen Boughton

October 5, 2023

The Trustees and Volunteers of Northfields Community Library have received recognition at this year’s Ealing Community Network’s Voluntary Sector Awards.

Three Trustees were present at the event on Thursday 28 September to collect the award for “Organisation Led By Volunteers”.

Northfields Community Library is an entirely volunteer run charity which was established in 2019. Led by Jenny Oldroyd, the founding group applied to Ealing Council for funding to keep the local library open as a community run organisation. This October the Library will achieve the target set by Ealing Council to be open for 30 hours per week, opening on 5 days a week including two evenings and Saturdays.

The vision for the Library was shaped through a series of public consultations and workshops. As well as books to lend offers many activities and outreach and fundraising events that appeal to people of all ages.

The Library now has around 100 volunteers who are responsible for all aspects of library and event management. There are regular training updates, meetings and social events for the volunteers which aim to ensure that the Library is a fully collaborative and community led organisation. Most volunteers have worked at the Library since the charity was set up.

Tanya White, Chair of Trustees, said,“We are delighted to have been recognised by the Ealing Community Network. This award belongs to all our volunteers - our library wouldn’t be the success that it has become without the hard work of every single one of them.”

Ealing Libraries Services provide the building and the book stock, but the charity needs to fund all running costs and the extra services for the Community Hub.

Donating regularly to become a Friend of the Library will helps keep the library open.

To find out more about becoming a Friend of Northfields Community Library, you can visit the Support Us page of its website.

Residents who would like to support their local libraries can contact the council by emailing libraryvolunteer@ealing.gov.uk.

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