Suffolk Libraries Local at Rushmere receives funding boost

A pop-up library session in Ipswich has received a funding boost, thanks to the efforts of a group of passionate volunteers.

The Suffolk Libraries Local session at Rushmere Pavilion, which launched in 2018, was set to close at the end of July, as the funding to pay for it was set to run out. It is not part of the Suffolk Libraries contract with Suffolk County Council, and additional funding is needed to pay for it. However, the recently-formed Friends of Rushmere Library has successfully secured £4,995 from Ipswich Borough Council’s North-East Area Committee, enabling them to commission Suffolk Libraries to run the session until the end of March 2023.

The weekly Rushmere Suffolk Libraries Local session is one of two ‘pop-up’ libraries run by Suffolk Libraries. The Rushmere session runs every Wednesday at Rushmere Sports Pavilion. The pop-up model enables Suffolk Libraries to bring the library experience to a local community. This includes book-lending, free IT, computer access and a range of activities.

Sandra Gage is the chair of the Friends of Rushmere Library and played a key role in the launch of the pop-up library in 2018. She said,

“This service is vital to many people in this part of Ipswich. When I learned that the session was going to end due to lack of funds, I worked with Tom – the staff member who runs the session – to put a friends’ group together and apply for the funds needed to enable it to continue.

"I’m so pleased that we’ve been successful, and in doing so, created a unique way to deliver a pop-up library in Suffolk – paid for and commissioned by a friends’ group. Hopefully, this is just the start. We’re hoping to raise funds to enable the service to grow and develop so we can reach even more people.”

The ‘Wordplay’ activities for young children have been a particular success at Rushmere with numbers rising from around 20 before the pandemic to over 30 attending most weeks. Children enjoy these lively and engaging sessions, with their parents also enjoying chatting and socialising.

The Rushmere pop-up library has also recently been running outreach sessions in the local community including very successful sessions for families at over the Jubilee weekend.

Bruce Leeke, CEO of Suffolk Libraries said:

“We’re delighted that, thanks to the Friends of Rushmere Library, we can continue the sessions at Rushmere as we know it is proving popular with many local families in this part of town. We’re particularly grateful to Sandra Gage for her support for the library sessions and are pleased to work with her and local people to deliver this service.

"Suffolk Libraries is ten years old in August and this is another example of how we’ve always sought to work with communities to provide innovative new services which bring people together.”

The sessions at Rushmere run every Wednesday from 9.30AM to 12.30PM with Tot Rock active songs and rhymes for under 5s at 9.30AM and coffee and cake for adults from 11AM.