A deal to secure a brighter future for Brockworth Library and Youth Centre, the Brockworth Youthbrary, is making good progress.
Gloucestershire County Council is working on an agreement with Brockworth Parish Council and Brockworth Community Project to take over library and youth services in the area, combined as the innovative youthbrary project.
Under Meeting the Challenge, Brockworth Library and youth services were offered to the community as part of the Big Community Offer.
Since the announcement, Brockworth Parish Council and Brockworth Community Project have been working together. The parish council will commission the community project to run the youthbrary on a day-to-day basis as an extension of the services it already provides, including adult education, volunteering and employment support.
Brockworth Community Project has a strong management group and a committed team of staff that has the capacity to manage the library and youth service on behalf of the parish council. The parish council has shown great commitment and forward thinking in backing the proposal (subject to final agreement on the business plan) in order to get it established initially but has been very clear that the project must deliver good value for the local community. With this in mind, the parish council has committed £25,000 funding for the first year to get the project off the ground.
Julie Shirley, clerk of Brockworth Parish Council, said: “The parish council feels it is very important that the library and youth centre are retained in Brockworth, and has committed £15,000 for the library and £10,000 for the youth centre towards the first year’s funding. The parish council is working in partnership with Brockworth Community Project on a business case to present to the county council.
“There will be a public meeting on 12th May to give more information on how the two services will be run and we will be asking for volunteers to come forward and help. However, if people want to register an interest in volunteering prior to the public meeting please contact Ben Evans at the community project on 07825 113835 or Julie Shirley at Brockworth Parish Council on 01452 863123.”
Cllr Mark Hawthorne, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: “What we’re seeing in Brockworth is a fantastic example of our Big Community Offer in practise and I am delighted with how the community has stepped forward.
“Local people have come together to produce an innovative solution to give Brockworth a great community facility at the same time as saving vital funds the county council can now divert straight into protecting frontline services.
“We will continue to work with Brockworth Community Project and Brockworth Parish Council to ensure the success of this process and we expect many more agreements will follow in the coming weeks.”
Cllr Mike Collins, county councillor for Brockworth, said: “I would prefer that Gloucestershire County Council still runs youth and library services centrally, but owing to the financial pressures we are all under, the community of Brockworth has come together to get this project off the ground. I hope it is successful and the local community comes out and supports it in the future.”
The draft business plan for Brockworth is expected to be completed at the end of the month, ahead of the final deadline of 1st June for all business plans.
For more information on the Big Community Offer, visit www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/bigcommunityoffer.
