Congratulations

... to libraries in Yorkshire for winning funding from the Big Lottery Community Libraries Fund.

Sheffield has got over £1.4m to help create a new community library and learning centre in Parsons Cross. The centre will accommodate a range of community organisations and provide classrooms, informal teaching space, IT facilities, meeting rooms and flexible activity and performance space for community use.

The current Mowbray Gardens Library in Rotherham will be remodelled and extended with an award of over £1.1 million to include an inspirational space designed and managed in partnership with children and young people. The project will improve and increase the range of library services and improve the capacity to offer opportunities for learning.

Rotherham has launched a community project to help design the new library.

In Leeds, Garforth Library will use a £1.4 million grant to build a state of the art extension creating a new exciting library and information hub. With the extra space the library will offer a wider range of services and learning opportunities and develop partnerships including a One Stop Centre and Credit Union. A mobile exhibition trailer will also be purchased to take collections of books for basic skills, English language learning materials for speakers of other languages, health collections and local interest materials out into the community.

Awards also went to Bradford, North Yorkshire and Calderdale.