Birkdale Community Hub and Library have shared their plans for the future and commitment to the community after receiving an award from the King.
Mark Blundell, Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside presented the charity hub with the Kings Award for Voluntary Service on February 12.
Following the success of the award, Phil Margham, Chair of the Trustees of the community centre and library shared the hub’s hopes for the future, with the centre looking to develop their social media and expand their services, as well as forming partnerships with local businesses and churches, creating community workshops such as gardening groups, and developing the centre’s magazine ‘The Birkdale Buzz’.
He said: “It’s going to be somewhere where people can get together because the whole ethos of the library and the hub is to get people talking to each other and building relationships with each other. That is our absolute theme.”
The volunteer-run centre hopes that news of the Kings Award will encourage more young people in the community to engage with the services offered, including providing opportunities for work experience both in the library and writing for the ‘Birkdale Buzz’.
The library is also committed to replenishing its book collection to remain accessible to younger library users, through book donations from charities and the public.
Mr. Margham said: “The library is a way of getting people in and it’s an important service, but actually it’s all about togetherness, doing things together.”
Volunteers at the hub shared their optimism around the plans for the community centre, following the success of the award.
One volunteer said: “We know that Birkdale Community Hub and Library does a great job, but hearing the Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside talk about the work that we do was really emotional and made us all realise how special the charity is.”
