Manchester Library of Things

Aim

We're setting up a Library of Things in Manchester so the community can borrow things they need but rarely use.

Manchester Library of Things  is a volunteer led community enterprise based in Levenshulme. 

We’ve been working hard over the past couple of years to bring a Library of Things to Manchester – somewhere that people can borrow everyday items that are rarely used. Think that bread maker at the back of the cupboard, the pressure washer that comes out every two years or the extendable window cleaning poles that only ever saw the light of day once.

Libraries of Things are great for saving money, protecting the environment and bringing the community together. They promote borrowing instead of buying and a shift in attitudes from overconsumption and waste to community ownership, reuse and recycling.

People will be able to borrow items from the library on a weekly basis for a small fee that covers the cost of running the library. Items will include:

- DIY tools

- Cleaning equipment

- Kitchen items

- Camping equipment

- Arts, crafts and hobby items

- Equipment for parties and childcare

- Whatever else the community needs and wants!

At the moment we’ve raised enough money to pay for things like the shipping container to house the “things”, along with boring-yet-essential things like shelving, rent and IT. 

But we now need to raise some more money to buy the items for the library that haven’t been donated. We estimate that it will cost about £5000-£6000 to stock the library with good quality items. It's really important that we buy great quality items from trusted brands, as they'll be borrowed again and again - and they need to last.

And this is where we need help! We’re asking people to give to the Library in order to get it up and running, and filled with things that people can borrow to make life that little bit easier.

This project successfully funded on 10th November 2023