The Friends of Penarth Library (FoPL) is a group of dedicated volunteers whose purpose is to raise funds to purchase items to enhance the experience of library users and to work with library staff to maintain the library’s place at the hub of Penarth life.
We were founded in 2015 and since then have raised funds via cake. plant, book and craft sales and we havepurchased many items for the library e.g. seats, clocks, bean bags, Lego, games for the children’s library and a monitor to facilitate advertising of library activities plus a garden bench. We also provide funds for goody bags for children attending certain events such as the summer reading scheme awards.
There is a small garden attached to the library which was set up as an eco garden and for a few years was part of the PenarthGarden Trail. Unfortunately recent refurbishment work at the library has rendered the space unsuitable for any real purpose and the Friends, in conjunction with library staff, would like to give the area a new lease of life. The picture attached shows the sorry state of the space. The Friends would like to pave the central area of the garden and erect a fence so that the area can be used for various activities e.g. story times, Friends salesevents, school visits and other library functions.
During the pandemic the library has been unable to hold its story time activities within the library and the creation of an outdoor area would mean these could once again take place without having to decant to the park or the pier.
Paving the garden and erecting a fence would cost £3000 and we are asking for donations to enable this to be funded. The Friends currently raise money by holding monthly events and the lovely people of Penarth generously support these. However it would take a number of years for the Friends to raise sufficient funds via such events so we are asking people to help us to raise the money we need.
Once we have the central area of the garden paved the Friends are planning to purchase bee and butterfly plants for the shrub beds, a weather station enabling people to monitor Penarth weather trends and seating for children using the area. We are also looking at bird houses with cameras in the hope birds will raise chicks in them and creating a ‘living wall’ to provide additional plants and interest. The plan is to have an eco, wildlife friendly area which also functions as a place for child based activities.