Here at CRACCL, we have made full use of the pandemic lockdown by refurbishing Colburn Library so that it will be a place that excites and inspires children to become lifelong readers when we reopen, once restrictions are lifted, on April 12th.

About £40,000 has been spent on the refurbishment of Colburn Library, which now also features a community space to host a variety of events appealing to all age ranges, from a coding club for younger people to a Knit and Natter gathering for those a little older.

“We’ve tried to make a welcoming space which can be used for a wide range of activities and clubs for all ages,” said Sue Young, who is CRACCL’s Lead Trustee for Colburn. “We hope that for children, it will excite and inspire them to become lifelong readers and learners, while groups for older age adults could assist in reducing depression and combatting loneliness.

“As well as all the educational benefits, libraries are recognised as safe spaces and so they can help with mental health.  Not everyone in Colburn has access to the latest technology, so the PCs are of great use for employment purposes as well as homework.” 

About £16,000 has been spent completely renewing the children’s library, and North Yorkshire County Council has spent £5,000 on new books – our shelves are now full of exciting, interesting and fun reads for you to borrow and delve into!

The building, in Broadway, has been recarpeted throughout, energy-efficient windows have been installed and the computer suite has been relocated to make it more user-friendly.

The project has been half funded by Richmondshire District Council, which has a community office in the library, while our wonderful team of volunteers of CRACCL, who already refurbished our other two libraries, launched themselves into fundraising. Cllr Helen Grant also helped with a contribution from her Locality grant. We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been involved with and supported our project.

The refurbishment was carried out after consultation with the local community, who said they wanted more activities in the library, along with refreshments.

Plans are now being made to run a pre-school group and for jigsaw and arts and crafts clubs for adults.

We aim to reopen Colburn Library, and unveil all our hard work, on Monday 12th April, as part of the next stage in the lifting of lockdown. Please pay us a visit and do let us know what you think - we can't wait to welcome you to our 'new' library!