Volunteer library starting at Thorpe Community Centre
Pictured L/R: Margaret Foster and Doreen Armstrong surrounded by the books that have donated to the community centre's pop up library. People can just go in and borrow books freely in a new venture set up by a couple of volunteers.
VILLAGERS in Thorpe will have plenty to do this new year with the setting up of two new ventures in the community centre.
Free art classes and a pop-up library will begin in the Stanhope Gardens Centre in a bid to get more people to use the community facitilies.
Thorpe artist Mr Don Proctor will be starting his free art classes at the centre next Wednesday, January 16 at 10am.
The classes will be for absolutely anyone, regardless of artistic talent, experience or where they live.
But for those more interested in a good read, the centre, which at one time was also a library, is planning on becoming an oasis for book lovers.
Thorpe resident and community volunteer Margaret Foster is collecting books which will then be available for people to pick up in the centre during the week.
“We’re aiming to be at the centre five days a week, Monday to Friday, and people can just come along and choose a book from our collection,” she said.
“There’s no library in the area any more, except for a mobile one but that’s obviously limited to when it’s in the village – some people prefer to be able to just pop in somewhere when they’re passing.
“At the moment we’re planning to open from 10.30am to maybe 2pm.”
Mrs Foster said she hoped the idea would bring people together, as well as making good use of the community centre.
“People can just call in and take a book away with them, or they can stop and have a coffee and read while they’re here,” she said.
“The centre is quite busy – the elderly coffee mornings have been attracting big numbers recently and the Thorpe in Bloom group have been meeting here.
“But it would be wonderful to get even more people in because sometimes people don’t realised what a great community facility they have until it’s gone.”
As well as people going along to the book club, what the venture also needs is more books and anyone who has any that can be donated can drop them off at the centre from tomorrow.
Mrs Foster said: “We’ve already got quite a big selection of novels but we definitely need more children’s books and any other kind of books, such as non-fiction.”
Anyone wanting to donate any books can take them to Thorpe Community Centre from 2pm-4pm each weekday from today (Wednesday, January 9).
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Weather for Leeds,Yorkshire
Thursday 23 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 5 C to 10 C
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Light showers
Temperature: 5 C to 10 C
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