Mayor Opens the Community Library and Wellbeing Hub

The Higham Ferrers Community Library and Wellbeing Hub was officially opened yesterday by the Mayor of Higham Ferrers, Councillor Nigel Brown.

Since the library closure by the former County Council in December 2019 there has been no library provision in the town. The Town Council were advised early last summer that £22,310 of section 106 monies held for 'library provision in Higham Ferrers' by North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) were to be returned to the developer unless they could be used. The Town Council were invited by NNC to submit a plan for the development of library provision to allow the monies to be retained for the community.

With the plan submitted and approved, the Town Council is pleased to have been able to subsequently establish the small Community Library and Wellbeing Hub (the Hub) operating out of the room at the back of the old library building, now owned by Snowdon Homes.

The Hub is currently open Tuesday, 1400-1600, Wednesday 1000-1200 and 1400-1600 and Thursday 1000-1200. Opening times will change and increase in line with the demands of the community, and to allow delivery of wellbeing groups and sessions that are not currently available to residents.

The Mayor was joined at the opening by Town Councillors, staff of Snowdon Homes and the new Hub volunteers. He was delighted to open the Hub, saying, 'a lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes to get the Hub opened in such a short space of time. None more so than from our initial eight volunteers who have given their time to open the Hub for eight hours a week, alongside the preparation of the shelving and the sorting of the donated books'.

The Hub is looking to recruit more volunteers over the coming months so if you would like to join us here is the link to the volunteer application form https://forms.office.com/e/jJYCFURpSB

We would also love to hear your views on what services or groups you would like to join. Here is the link to the suggestion form https://forms.office.com/e/uGQxM00Hqv