As we celebrated our Bee Friendly Library garden this time last year we had no idea what would we facing our lovely community of Burnage a year from then. Over the 6 years of re-opening as a Community Powered Library the numbers of people coming together to use the Library, join activities and enjoy events steadily grew, to over 2,500 visits a month and 280 people a week of all ages joining us for free activity sessions.
Members of our volunteer team shared their lockdown messages.
Our team of 43 volunteers has been behind making our Library such a welcoming space, where local people from 0 – 90 have been able to access information and opportunities for learning and wellbeing, culture and connection. We are delighted to announce that Friends of Burnage Library is one of 230 groups in the UK to have been chosen for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. We’re so very proud that the time and care our volunteers have put into making our Library such a well-loved place is being acknowledged by this award.
Making a scarecrow in the Bee Friendly garden – a project funded by Manchester Airport Community Trust.
Our Chair of Trustees, Anne Henderson says “We are very proud to receive the award and it reflects the massive commitment and hard work of over 40 volunteers from the Burnage community, without whom the doors of the library simply would not open.”
Atifeh Einali and Eliora Goodman from Manchester University Schoolof Music perform a lunchtime concert with the traditional Perisian Santoor in May
Our Summer Fair in June was supported by local makers and made nearly £500 to help fund our community activities.
In July our Talk English Group received their Certificates and celebrated with a party in the garden.
Over the Summer Holidays we got out into the Community with our Burnage: A Place Called Home heritage project to hold a Vintage Tea Dance Celebrating 60 years of Burnage Community Centre, a Big Lego House of the Future build at Westcroft Community Centre and a family walk and craft session celebrating our beautiful Burnage street trees.
In October we held our 6th Birthday Party – with over 200 people from our local community joining us to dress up as their favourite book characters. The Opanka Dance Troupe got us up on our feet and local MP Jeff Smith cut the cake.
In the Autumn Half Term we got messy making giant lanterns, inspired by exploring seeds pods from our library garden under a digital microscope and then we celebrated our creations at an illuminated evening with hot chocolate and marshmallows.
In February we made Bird feeders to take home and hang from a window or tree at our half term Storytime special.
On March 19th we sadly had to close our doors to the public and like everyone, we’ve had to adapt and respond to the challenges facing our community. We look forward to the day when we can safely welcome everyone back.
