An evening with novelist Kamila Shamsie Preston Library June 19th

Preston Community Library is delighted to be hosting an evening with British/Pakistani author Kamila Shamsie who will be reading from and talking about her prize-winning novel Home Fire. This will be one of Ms Shamsie's first public appearances since Home Fire won the Women's Prize for Fiction (formerly the Orange Prize) which is the world's most prestigious award for women's writing. The event is in Preston Library next Tuesday, 19 June, at 6.30pm.

The Memory Lounge, for people with Dementia and their carers, launches on June 11th at Preston Community Library

The Memory Lounge launches at Preston Community Library on Monday June 11th with special guests The Wrinklers plus talks, information and refreshments.

This is the only group in the area offering a three pronged approach to helping those in the area who are a) concerned about their memory, b) are a carer, and c) affected by Dementia.

The Community Library us on Carlton Avenue East, just off Preston Road, opposite the Preston pub. Nearest station Preston Road (Metropolitan line).

£267,983 CIL grant to Preston Community Library for 'fitting out'

Brent Cabinet last night approved the granting of a larger than usual Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL) grant of £267,983 for the fitting out of Preston Community Library.

The community library is housed in the building which used to be the council run Preston Library, closed by a former Labour administration as part of the so-called 'Libraries Transformation Project'. After closure the building became an annexe to Preston Park Primary School but is no longer needed by the school.

Under the management of the volunteers in the Preston Community Library campaign, the building has become a well-used community hub with a cinema and classes as well as an adult and children's lending library.

The site is ear-marked for redevelopment so the grant is subject to receipt of formal approval for the 'wider development' of the site which would include room for the community library.  Brent Council's Property Team would be responsible for construction and Preston Community Library for internal fixtures and fittings.

Former councillor James Powney, architect of the Libraries Transformation Project,  has signalled his opposition to the deal, stating on his blog LINK,  'I think this raises a number of legal issues and I have written to the officers to that effect.'

Give a coat - warm a heart. Coats for the homeless Preston Library & Windermere pub

From Preston Community Library
 

Do you have a good condition old coat to spare? We are collecting them for #WrapUpLondon, who redistribute them in community centres for homeless people. Drop them into Preston Community Library on days we are open [coats only, please, no other clothes], or take them to our friendly local, The Windermere, any afternoon after 2pm.

Hear Alan Monaghan of 'The Soldier's Song' at Preston Library on Friday

Alice in the Cuckoo's Nest and October 1917 at Preston Community Library

From Preston Community Library

 We are delighted to welcome Librarian Theatre for the first time in Preston Library. On Tuesday 14th November & Tuesday 19th December at 7.30, as part of a national tour, they will be performing their new play Alice in the Cuckoo's Nest, inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Thanks to generous support from the Arts Council, tickets are only £10 [£5 concs.].  This company has performed at Barham Library in previous years and are absolutely excellent.   Tickets from the library, or reply to prestoncommunitylibrary.gmail.com to book a seat More info, and tickets online from the company's own website: https://www.librariantheatre.com/

Please note this production involves adult mental health themes. Children over 11 only.

This Saturday 28th October we are showing October 1917.  Commissioned to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, Sergei Eisenstein's film depicts events of the Bolshevik uprising in 1917.

Preston Library 60s Film Night Saturday 30th September

The Story of Wembley Park Studios - Preston Library Sat Sept 23rd

Author's talk 'Are my roots showing?' Friday at Preston Community Library

Stronger Communities post won't be filled: the repercussions

Information is sparse but I understand that there will be no immediate appointment made to Brent Cabinet to the lead member for Stronger Communities post made vacant by the resignation of Cllr Michael Pavey LINK.  Instead there will be a review of the post/Cabinet.

I had heard that there was a dispute within the Labour Group about whether the appointment should be made by Council Leader Muhammed Butt or voted on by the whole group.

The review sidesteps this issue in the wake of what was described as a group meeting that gave Butt 'a hard time' last week.

It is unclear whether Butt will manage the post in the interim as he did when the Environmentl lead was vacated by Cllr Keith Perrin, before later making his own appointment.

The failure to appoint puts power into the hands of a smaller loyalist Cabinet cabal and avoids Butt having to cope with an independently minded lead member elected by the group. 

The post is quite sensitive at the moment with ongoing negotiations over the volunteer Preston Library Hub LINK and the development of a Community Library Strategy and controversy over Brent Council's implementation of the Prevent Strategy LINK.

The development may affect Preston Library where there was a tension between Brent Council wanting to dispose of its assets at maximum profit and its stated commitment to enabling community groups to have a secure base from which to carry out their activities.

Butt welcomes input from Preston on Community Library Strategy

Titus Bear from Barham Community Library visits Preston Library

Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, has copied me into his response to Philip Bromberg of Preston Community Library who requested consultation over the development of a Community Library Strategy LINK:

Philip

Many thanks for attending the cabinet meeting and for your contribution along side the other contributions.

I sincerely do want a positive outcome for all and hence the suggestion from myself for a   Community library strategy that doesn't just cover the PCL but any other community library including the good work being done with Kensal and Cricklewood.

There will need to be a concerted effort from all areas especially from the library service and from property as well.

It would be good to have some input from yourself as we move this forward in formulating this policy. Let me and Michael start the discussion with our officers and WWE will get together soon.

Libraries are under the remit of Cllr Pavey with Phil Porter as the Strategic Director and property is under my remit with Althea Loderick as the Strategic Director for Resources, we will need to work together closely to make sure that we get the best outcomes in making sure that organisations that work with us and deliver services such as PCL are recognised.

Philip please don't hesitate to pick the phone up or contact me if you want to discuss things.

Kind Regards
Muhammed

Cllr Muhammed Butt
Leader of Brent Council

Meanwhile the papers for tomorrow's  Full Meeting of the Council contains this question from Cllr Reg Colwill (Leader of the Kenton Conservative Group) and Cllr Michael Pavey's, Lead Member for Stronger Communities and Libraries, reply:

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7. Question to the Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities from Councillor Reg Colwill, Kenton

The residents of the Preston Ward have done a fantastic job in keeping the library active and working to make sure that all the residents have access to books in a very professional manner.

Will the Council now honour what they told the residents that is that they would give them the library to continue their good work?

If yes, the Committee running the library would like to know when.

Preston Community Library have done an absolutely superb job in keeping a library running in extremely difficult circumstances. They have delivered a truly inclusive range of exceptional activities and have brought the whole community together. 

I would make the small point that although many of the Library volunteers are indeed Preston residents, many others live in Barnhill and surrounding wards - they all deserve immense credit.

We plan to redevelop the Preston Library building to provide new housing, however these plans will also incorporate high quality new community space. Cabinet felt that the published report paving the way for this redevelopment did not sufficiently recognise the excellent work of the Preston Community Library, nor did it do enough to pledge ongoing support for that library. 

Consequently Cabinet committed to take three months to work with Preston Community Library, as well as the community libraries in Cricklewood, Kensal Rise and Barham Park, to develop a new Community Library Strategy over and above which the Council has a duty to provide. In addition to broader issues, this strategy will directly address access to the new Preston Library building.

Cabinet has also stated a very clear preference that both the tender process and the rental level for the new community space at the redeveloped building should be clearly weighted towards social value, rather than financial value. 

All four Brent community libraries are extremely important partners of the Brent Library Service. We are grateful for their excellent work and look forward to working with them to develop an exciting new strategy to assist in securing the long term future of each library.

Community Library Strategy promise welcomed and discussions requested

Philip Bromberg of Preston Community Library (PCL) has written  to Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, following Tuesday's Cabinet Meeting:

I said I would put in writing the point that I failed to make at last night's (Tuesday)  meeting. Your announcement of a new Community Libraries Strategy is very welcome. So, given your emphasis (both last night and in private conversation) on the importance of collaborative working, can we - PCL and the other three library groups - expect to be involved in discussions about this as early as possible?

I do not, of course, know how much, if any, work has already been done on this, and three months is quite a short time to develop a potentially significant change of policy. But experience suggests you will get better policy decisions if you can involve those affected at a formative stage.

It does appear that the Cabinet is now genuinely committed to the future of PCL. That is progress.

Brent Cabinet decision on Preston Library site - official Minute

The official account of Cabinet decisions taken has now been put on the Brent Council website. This is the Preston Park Annex/Preston Library site decision.

RESOLVED:

(i) Cabinet agreed Option 2: to purchase the adjacent land to deliver 19 new homes and D1 community use space.  

(ii) Cabinet allowed a 3 month period for the Council to negotiate with the adjacent landowner(s).

(iii) Cabinet delegated authority to the Strategic Director for Resources  in consultation with the Chief Legal Officer and Chief Finance Officer in respect of awarding any professional services contracts for developing Preston Park Annexe scheme proposals.

(iv) Cabinet agreed that officers, within a three month period, would bring back the results of negotiations, and a draft community library  strategy.

(v) Cabinet indicated its support for the redevelopment process.

(vi) Cabinet agreed that this further report would set out detailed plans, outcomes of consultation and investment requirements and the support to be given to PPCL (sic) during the period of development. The  report would also outline how D1 use will be secured in the development.

(vii) Cabinet indicated its clear commitment to weight procurement processes to social value rather than financial value

Brent SOS Libraries urge Cabinet to keep their pre-election promise on Preston Library

This letter has been sent to Brent Cabinet members prior to tonight's meeting.

 

Re: Preston Community Library

Report for consideration at Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 13^th September 2016

I write as chair of Brent SOS Libraries, an umbrella group supporting library campaigns and community libraries across Brent. The contents of this email have been approved by the four community library groups at Kensal Rise, Cricklewood, Barham and Preston. I have been made aware of the report relating to redevelopment of the Preston Library site, which I understand you are due to consider at the cabinet meeting tomorrow, Tuesday 13^th September 2016.

It is well known that a clear pre-election promise was made at a public meeting on 7^th May 2014, when the Brent Labour Party promised to “offer the building at a peppercorn rent to any local community group who can provide a sustainable community library... that is our pledge. We will not open to competitive tender in order to give preference to local groups.” You were present at that meeting and supported that pledge.

Since then, volunteers in Preston have worked extremely hard to set up and sustain a community library in the building. Despite the constraints placed on them by sharing the library building with local schools using it for overflow classrooms, library volunteers in Preston have developed an amazing local resource, which is providing valuable services to the community. As you probably know, Preston Community Library is a registered charity. In addition to providing books, study space, and computers with internet access (vital for people who have no or limited computer or internet access at home), they also run, among other things, ESOL classes, a film club, and writing projects for children and young people.

Representatives from Preston Community Library meet regularly with those from the other community libraries setting up across Brent (Barham, Kensal Rise and Cricklewood), as part of the umbrella group Brent SOS Libraries. In recognition of the importance of our work, we have recently received a grant of £45,000 over two years from the Council’s Voluntary Sector Initiative Fund for support and development of services across the four libraries. We were one of eleven bids from a total of 43 applications to be successful.

The four community libraries have also started to work with the Brent Library Service and we have met with them on several occasions this year. In July we were very pleased to participate in the Culture Open Day at Willesden Green Library, an event which we planned jointly with the Library Service. We look forward to working more closely with the Library Service in the future.

In the circumstances, I was most surprised to read the report prepared for the Cabinet, which makes no reference to the pre-election promise. The proposals contained in the report breach that promise by proposing open market tender and a significant annual rent for community space. A community library is not going to be able to pay the sorts of sums proposed. Libraries are not designed to be profit making, they are providing a free service to the community. This is understood at Kensal Rise and Cricklewood, where the libraries will only pay a peppercorn rent. The hard work and goodwill of the many volunteers supporting Preston Community Library, and the benefit that it provides, should not be disregarded in this way.

Any proposal for future use of the Preston Library site should honour your pre-election promise and should recognise the value, including the social value, of the work done by Preston Community Library. PCL should not be subjected to an open market tender process and should not be required to pay more than a peppercorn rent. If the site is to be redeveloped in some form, PCL should be provided with space in the new development on the same basis, and you should provide them with alternative accommodation whilst the site is being redeveloped.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Laura Collignon 

Chair, Brent SOS Libraries

Chair of Operations Group, Friends of Kensal Rise Library

Resident questions Brent Council's arithmetic on Preston Library housing plans

A local resident has sent the following message to Brent Cabinet ahead of their discussion on an officer's report on the future of the Preston Library building.

Dear Cabinet member,

I wrote to councillors last week about why it is important to support Preston Community Library.

Since then I have looked more carefully at the report for Tuesday's cabinet, and have realised that the figures in it for housing just don't make sense.  I think you will need to adjourn the report so that officers can give you corrected information.

The report states that if you just built five flats on the library site, there would be an expected income to the Council of £158,000, including £51,000 from the community space.  The difference [£107,000] comes to an average rental income per flat of £411.54 per week, which is clearly not accessible for people in housing need.

For the larger site, the figures are £420,000 -£51,000 = £369,000.  At 19 flats this is £19,421 rent per flat, or £373.48 per flat.

The current rent you charge [2015-16] for a council home is £101.99 for one beds, £115.56 for 2 beds and £127.63 for 3 beds.  LINK 

This means that if the properties are let to social tenants you will not get anything like the rents the reports says.  If you are to rent to private tenants then the rents in the report are still much lower than other flats in the area. An example of a flat a couple of minutes walk away is HERE.

Income to the Council also needs to take account of Housing Benefit, which will reduce the income considerably.

The chair of South Kenton & Preston Park Residents Association has, I believe, written to you about the values quoted in the report, including the non-viability of achieving £51,000 from community groups, and also about the unusual and extremely high development costs of building these flats.  To meet housing need it would be much cheaper for Brent to purchase some of the flats and houses for sale in the district.

I feel that if this report is approved, then the planned for gains will not materialise; those in housing need will get no benefit, citizens will lose their valued library and it will be an embarrassment to the Council.  I hope that you will reject this report.

yours sincerely,
Linda Green

Preston Library Campaign builds ahead of Tuesday's Cabinet decision

Ahead of Tuesday's Cabinet Meeting, Roxanne Mashari, has written to Philip Bromberg in response to his letter LINK about the future of the former Preston library building (referred to in the Cabinet report at the Preston Park Annex LINK)

For the record, I have met with you and your group on a number of occasions and have found our conversations constructive which ultimately have led to the operation of the community library. 

I hope we can collectively find a solution to this as I think your community library is a fantastic example of community action to keep services running in the face of government cuts and I hope the council can support your hard work, passion and commitment as much as possible.

As I said previously, unfortunately property has been removed from the regeneration portfolio but I expect the leader will respond to you fully as soon as possible.

 Cllr Mathew Bradley has also responded to correspondents with the following generic reply:

As I have received a large number of emails about this, I've put together this standard response which I hope will answer all your questions.

Thank you for the numerous emails I received about the Preston Community library. As per your requests, we raised your concerns at the Labour group meeting to try and give a clear steer to the cabinet about what we, as Labour councillors (and specifically Preston ward councillors) wanted to see the building being used for - a community library. I think we made this clear in the meeting. The case for the library has been made well by all of you and I want to thank you all for writing in as the level of public support for the community library was made very clear and lent weight to what we had to say.

As an educator, I am firmly on your side in this matter, and I know my fellow councillors, Pat and Jean, feel the same way. We have been impressed at the service which has been provided by the Preston library community group (often in adverse conditions) and hope that this will continue into the future.

At the next meeting of cabinet, they will be deciding whether to enter negotiations with the business next door to see if this property can be purchased by the council in order to start re-development with a mind to building a structure on both sites. The ground floor of this will be reserved for community use, the upstairs area may become flats, or something else, but as far as I am aware the purpose for this has not been decided.

If the community library were to take up residence on the ground floor this would get the library a permanent home, and I believe would be an excellent solution to the many issues the library group has been facing when working with the council. While I can see positives and negatives to this, as a supporter of the library, I feel that this might be the best possible outcome.

Of course, if this happens, the next big fight would be ensuring that the ground floor of this building is indeed used for the library. The work on achieving this is far from over and I thank you all for continuing to support the community library as robustly as you have.

Regards,
Cllr Matthew Bradley

Philip Bromberg replied:

First of all, I'd like to thank you and Jean (Cllr Hussein)  and Pat (Cllr Harrison) for the support we've had from you over the last two years. Some of the recipients of this email will be unaware that you have done valuable work for the library, and that you've offered to do more for us in the future. We are grateful for your help.

However, I'm afraid that what you say about next week's Cabinet is highly misleading. The report is not simply about negotiations with the business next door. There are two recommended proposals, and both involve the re-development of the library site. In both cases, the ground floor community space will be put out to open market tender, with a target rental income of £51,000 per annum. How, in these circumstances, will it be possible to ensure that there is a library on the ground floor?

Two years ago you and Pat and Jean and every other Labour councillor fought an election on a promise to offer the current building for use as a library at a peppercorn rent, and without an open tendering process. Is this promise about to be broken?

I hope you have read the attached letter from the Chair of SKPPRA, which casts considerable doubt on the wisdom of the current plans. Our strong preference is to continue to run the library in the existing building. This is what was promised in May 2014. But any re-development of the site must be done in a way which is consistent with those promises made two years ago. On Tuesday the Cabinet must say clearly that any community space must contain our community library, which must be offered to us for a peppercorn rent. That is what you now need to tell Mo and the other members of the Cabinet.

WHAT MIGHT BE LOST 

The decision about the library building is due to be made on Tuesday but both Brent Conservative groups have put it on the agenda for the following Full Council meeting on September 19th.

Cllr Reg Colwill  of Kenton conservatives has submitted this question to Cllr Michael Pavey, lead member for Stronger Communities:

The residents of the Preston Ward have done a fantastic job in keeping the library active and working to make sure that all the residents have access to books in a very professional manner.

Will the Council now honour what they told the residents that is that they would give them the library to continue their good work?

If yes, the Committee running the library would like to know when.

Brondesbury Park  Conservatives have submitted the following motion:

This Council confirms its previous promises and pledges of support for the continued existence of the four voluntary - run Brent libraries: Preston Community, Barham Park , Kensal Rise and Cricklewood.

A correspondent has submitted the following regarding the report's figures:

According to the Cabinet report:

5 flats built on the library site, will produce an income £158,000, less £51,000 from 'community' provision comes to £107,000, or £21,400 for each flat [£411.54per week].

19 flats on larger site, income £420,000, less £51,000 from community space comes to £369,000, or £19,421 per flat, which is £373.48 per week.

Council rents for a one bed are £102, 2beds are £116, and 3 beds are £128.

So Council tenants will not be able to afford the homes.  Housing Benefit does not seem to have been accounted for in the calculations.

So the income for the Council as indicated in the report seems inaccurate. It is cheaper to rent out a private flat in the area, so the proposals don't seem viable and won't meet housing need.

A message to tonight's meeting of Brent Labour Group from a local resident re Preston Library

The Labour Party presentation making their promise to Preston Library

The Labour Group is meeting tonight and will discuss Preston Library.  This is a letter to them from a local resident:

Dear Brent Councillor,

I know that tonight the labour group are meeting to discuss the future of Preston Library, and of the Community Library that has been providing services to local residents for the past year.  Whatever is decided will go to Cabinet next week. You are considering using the site to provide five small flats, with some community space to the rear of the property.

You may not all be aware of the loss to the community that could arise because of these plans.  The original Council run library closed five years ago and a great service to local people was lost..  For the past fifteen months Preston Community Library has provided a range of services for local people, and has become an indispensable resource.

In case you don't all know, the services are as follows:
1.    Adult lending library with fiction, non fiction and reference sections.
2.    An attractive children's library with books, displays and activities to match.
3.    Computers and free computer classes for local people
4.    ESOL [English as a Second Language] classes for residents who need to learn or improve their English
5.    Newspapers [often used by Esol Students to improve their reading]
6.    A community cinema showing films for both adults and children, often with speakers. We are grateful to Brent for Ward Working funds to purchase our professional equipment.
7.    A range of classes, which have included yoga, keep fit, knitting and others.  More can be arranged if we have a longer licence [such as Arabic, Spanish and Farsi]
8.    The Summer Reading Challenge for children, supported by Brent library service
9.    A range of individual events such as talks on mental health [from CNWL], play readings, story telling, author visits, story writing, creative writing and scrabble group meetings.

Local people have come into the library to access services and to meet people.  Many of our customers are elderly or vulnerable, and many customers tell us that they feel much less alone since we opened.  We are entirely run by volunteers and from donations, so we have provided these services at very little cost to the Council.

At a public meeting attended by both local people and Brent Councillors, we were promised that the building would be offered to the community as a library, at a peppercorn rent, subject to the need for school places.  There are no schools using the building at present [we have shared with them], and we have occupied the building on a proper licence agreement in a fully responsible manner.  We are a registered charity.  We were very shocked to learn that you are considering 'marketing' this community space to 'other community groups' in the area.  This seems to be a breach of the promise that was made.

It is essential that this facility is kept open for local people, who have little else nearby.  I hope that councillors will remember this when discussing the development proposals this evening and at Cabinet next week.

yours sincerely,
Linda Green
Preston Community Library and local resident.

"Dear Mo, we feel political parties ought to keep their promises..."

Letter to Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council. from Philip Bromberg of Preston Community Library

Dear Mo,

I hope you're well. I write, as ever, as Chair of Preston Community Library (PCL). The report on the future of the Preston Library site was discussed at our committee meeting yesterday. I have some more detailed questions which I will send later this week, but I wanted to send you our initial thoughts as soon as possible. You will not be surprised to hear that we are very unhappy about some of the report's recommendations.

You will recall that in May 2014 Brent Labour Party promised, if elected, to "offer the building at a peppercorn rent to any local community group who can provide a sustainable  community library... that is our pledge. We will not open to competitive tender in order to give preference to local groups" At the time you were happy to sign up to this pledge.

Can I draw your attention to para 3.3 of the report, which is, I'm afraid, a gross misrepresentation of recent history. We set up the library in April 2015 at the invitation of members of the then Cabinet; I assume you were involved in that decision, and also in the decision to continue to charge us a peppercorn rent. The library has operated continuously in the building from then until today. There has never been anything irregular about our presence in the building, and the suggestion is, frankly, offensive.

PCL's strong preference is to continue to run the library from the existing building. If, however, the Council decides to re-develop the site, then it needs to do so in a way consistent with promises made two years ago. In practice this means that you need now to guarantee that any new community space must contain a library at least as large as at present, which must be offered at a peppercorn rent. This is no more than you promised two years ago.

Why do we say this? Well, as a matter of principle we feel that political parties ought to keep their election promises. The report mentions (para 3.9) fairness to other community groups, but what about fairness to the dozens of Preston and Barnhill residents who have given thousands of hours to create and run a library, on the basis of promises made by you in 2014?

But there is a bigger issue than mere fairness or broken promises. The fact is that from a standing start, and in very trying circumstances, we have built a fully functioning public library. We offer a wide range of classes and activities for adults and children, and have (with your support) established a much-loved community cinema. We have just received a two-year grant (from Brent!) to improve - in partnership with your Library Service - the service we offer. All of this has been achieved at minimal cost to the Council, and all of it is now at risk.

We urge you to ensure that Preston Community Library is able to continue its work for the foreseeable future.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Philip

Broken promises threaten future of Preston Community Library

From Philip Bromberg of Preston Community Library

On September 13, Brent Council's Cabinet will consider plans to re-develop the Preston Library site. The intention is to build flats and a new 'community space'. These plans are a serious threat to the existence of  Preston Community Library, and we need to act now.

As most of you will know, in May 2014 Brent Labour Party made an election promise to "offer the building at a peppercorn rent to any local group who can provide a sustainable community library. We will not open to competitive tender in order to give preference to local groups". But, under the current plans, the new community space will be offered for open market tender, with an anticipated rental income of £51,000.

Please write now - today or tomorrow - to Mo Butt, the Leader of the Council, cllr.muhammed.butt@brent.gov.uk . Please tell him that we wish to continue to operate in the existing building, and ask him to guarantee that any new community space will contain a library at least as large as the current library, and that it will be offered at a peppercorn rent as he himself promised two years ago. If you prefer to phone him, his mobile number is 07867 169 879.

Please also contact your local ward councillors. For Preston ward, these are Matt Bradley,    cllr.matthew.bradley@brent.gov.uk  Jean Hossain,    cllr.jean.hossain@brent.gov.uk and Pat Harrison, cllr.patricia.harrison@brent.gov.uk .

With your support over the last five years (and, incidentally, with the support of several sympathetic councillors), we created Preston Community Library, and that's something we should all be immensely proud of. At the moment, despite considerable obstacles caused by our licence, we continue to run a fully functioning public library at virtually no cost to the Council. Our English classes, our IT classes, our art class, our storytime sessions for children, our wonderful community cinema - all of these and more are now under threat.

I urge every single one of you to contact our councillors today to ask them to protect our library. Please copy me in to any correspondence. If any of you want to read the report, it is HERE

With thanks,

Philip,
Chair, Preston Community Library,

50's to 80's Pop, Rock & Soul fundrasier on Sunday - Preston Library