Help grow Hook Norton library!

Aim

To double the library's size: add a bigger children's library, a flexible area for activities and make more space in the existing library.

A huge thank you for helping us to raise £60,000!

In the first week of the campaign, the huge generosity of our supporters raised £40,000 to enable us to build a bigger and more flexible library for our community. We then raised our target to £60,000 and within a month of starting the campaign, that target too was reached.

Oxfordshire County Council is offering the village a once-in-a-generation opportunity to expand the library into the Norman Matthews Hall next to the library. They can’t do it on their own, so the Friends of Hook Norton Community Library are working in partnership with the Council to raise the necessary funds. 

Supporting the library’s expansion will create a bigger library for our many young readers (who make up 40% of Hook Norton Library’s users), reconfigure the existing library to maximise space, and provide a flexible area for more activities.

We have been able to reach the £60,000 target not only thanks for the generosity of the community, who have donated more than £15,000, but also thanks to Oxfordshire County Council who have match funded the donations three times over, providing £45,000 of the total.

Although the match funding is now complete, the fundraising will continue to run until 31 October, so if you have come to this page to donate, we hope you will still continue to do so. This fundraising will allow us to deliver the refurbishments to an even higher standard. 

To say thank you, we’re offering a range of exciting rewards for supporters of all ages. Due to the generosity of so many people, we now have fewer than the 60 rewards we started with! But we will be adding more over the coming weeks, so please make sure you keep clicking on the 'see more' button to get a full flavour. They range in value from £1 to £7,500!!

Gift Aid: you will be unable to claim gift aid if you choose a reward. So if this is important to you and you are happy to simply donate, that option is available.

Why here? Why now?

The library is currently squeezed into the Grade II listed building connected to the Norman Matthews Hall. The building dates from 1855 and has served the village well as a school, youth club and social space before becoming the library in 1973. 

Now we’re looking to the future to create a space that inspires the joy of reading for all, with dedicated reading areas for children and adults, and the flexibility to support more fun, social activities. There will be more room for the many library facilities from books to PCs and a warm, welcoming place for all in the heart of our village. 

Jane Orchard, Chair of the Friends of Hook Norton Community Library, said: “Libraries have never been more vital. We’re launching this Crowdfunder campaign to raise the all-important funds so the work can begin early in 2026, ready to celebrate the National Year of Reading. 

“While other, less fortunate, libraries around the UK have closed, Oxfordshire County Council is offering us this exciting opportunity to reunite the whole building into a fun social space for reading, learning and community activities. They have chosen Hook Norton for this fundraising campaign because of our lively village and its excellent support for the library it has shown over the years."

This is your opportunity to contribute to a space that’s the heartbeat of the community - our community library. 

What difference will your donation make? 

With your help, we’ll be able to make a real and lasting difference to the library.

• Our children’s library is simply too small for the readers it inspires. We’ll expand the existing cramped area for the children’s library and add dedicated reading corners, comfortable soft seating and playful decor. The expansion will more than double the space for children, giving families a welcoming space to read, learn and play together.
• Creating a separate area for children will make space to expand the adult library. 
• The kitchen in the Norman Matthews Hall will be refreshed, and the toilets brought back into use to enable everyone to stay longer in the library.
• Flexible furniture means there will be more space for community activities and opportunities to connect with others.

“The project to expand Hook Norton Library is an exciting opportunity for us to develop and enhance this well-used and well-loved community asset, responding to changing customer demands and needs. It is also a chance for us to pilot a collaborative approach to project delivery, planning and funding by working with the Friends of Hook Norton Community Library.” Mark McCree, Head of Libraries and Heritage, Oxfordshire County Council

How can you help?

💷 Make a donation: no amount is too small.

🎁 Choose a reward: there are many exciting rewards from which to choose to match your donation, ranging in value from £1 to £1000s: treats - tickets - leisure activities - books - meals out - artworks - holiday lets - and more. After you choose a reward, we'll email you to arrange the best way to unite you with it.

📢 Spread the word: please share our campaign with friends, family and neighbours and other groups and societies you’re a part of.

We would like to say a very big thank you to the generosity of so many people and businesses in the area who have supported the fundraising by gifting rewards.

Our library is a cornerstone of Hook Norton – let’s build it together

Hook Norton Library has always been at the heart of the village. With your help we can make the Hook Norton Library an even more wonderful space for ourselves and future generations.

📅 Fundraising ends: 31 October 2025
💚 Every pound makes a difference.

Every contribution, big or small, has quadruple the impact! Every supporter becomes part of something permanent. We hope you enjoy choosing your reward in return for your kind donation.

THANK YOU!

This project successfully funded on 31st October 2025