HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

COMMUNITY SAFETY AND CULTURE CABINET PANEL

THURSDAY 29 APRIL 2010 AT 2.00 P.M.

BIG LOTTERY FUND: SOUTH OXHEY COMMUNITY LIBRARY PROJECT – PROGRESS REPORT

Report of the Director of ChildrenSchools and Families

Author: Andrew Bignell, Head of Information Services and Lifelong Learning Tel:01707 281531

Executive Member:Keith Emsall

1. / Purpose of report
1.1 / To update the Panel on the progress of the South Oxhey Community Library Project, funded by the Big Lottery Fund.
2. / Summary
2.1 / In 2008, Hertfordshire County Council was awarded £1.4 million from the Big Lottery Fund for a project to remodel and expand Oxhey Library, extending the public area of the building to include a flexible space for adult learning and wider community activities.
2.2 / A Community Steering Group, including representatives of key community partners was established in February 2009 to plan the development and delivery of a wide range of community activities and services through the new library building.
2.3 / The newly extended and refurbished library reopened to the public in September 2009. Initial feedback and usage statistics indicate the success of the project in reinvigorating the library service in South Oxhey, and establishing the library as community ‘hub’.
3. / Recommendations
That the Panel notes the report.
4. / Background
4.1 / The Big Lottery Fund for Community Libraries was designed to finance library projects, which would:
Invigorate libraries as centres of wider community learning and development
Create, improve and develop library spaces that meet the needs of the whole community
Be innovative and promote good practice in the way libraries are designed and run
4.2 / In 2008, Hertfordshire County Council was awarded £1.4 million of Big Lottery Funding for a project to remodel and expand Oxhey Library, extending the public area of the building to include a flexible space for adult learning and wider community activities.
4.3 / The South Oxhey Community Library Project aimed to create a new library building to serve as a ‘community hub’, providing an upgraded venue for community information, learning and development.
4.4 / Five specific project outcomes were agreed with the Big Lottery Fund, to be monitored over a two year period from October 2009 to September 2011.
Community Engagement.
Communities will be actively engaged in the development, delivery and management of services.
Information, Advice and Guidance.
300 local people will gain the benefit of improved access to information, advice and guidance services delivered through the library building.
Adult Learning
240 adults will improve their skills through participation in learning activities delivered through the new library.
Children and Young People
700 children and young people from South Oxhey will increase their confidence and self esteem through participation in cultural and learning activities delivered through the library.
Environmental Impact
The library building will have a reduced environmental impact, by using less energy and producing less waste.
4.5 / The new library reopened to the public in September 2009
5. / Community Engagement
5.1 / At the planning stage, a range of community engagement activities was undertaken to ensure that the local community was fully involved in the development of the project.
5.2 / A Community Steering Group, with representatives of key partner organisations was established in February 2009 to plan the delivery of new community services through the library. In March 2010, the membership of the group was extended to include user representatives, and an independent chairperson was appointed. The group will continue to meet quarterly to ensure that the services offered remain responsive to community needs.
5.3 / 621 people attended ‘Our Oxhey’ Day, organised by the Library and Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies to promote the local community archive project. Twenty-one local residents have come forward as volunteers to develop and administer the project.
6. / Information, Advice and Guidance
6.1 / ASCEND (local community group) has established a Job Club in the library to provide support for people seeking employment.
6.2 / Youth Connexions run weekly drop-in advice sessions in the library for 13-19 year olds
6.3 / Three Rivers Centre for Voluntary Service runs regular drop-in sessions giving information and advice on volunteering opportunities.
6.4 / Three Rivers District Council run regular domestic violence counselling sessions, and has also used the library for local consultations on planning issues and play areas.
6.5 / As part of the Hertfordshire Local initiative, the library provides a local access point for information about HCC services.
7. / Adult Learning
7.1 / WestHertsCollege and ASCEND are regularly delivering 5 and 10 week courses on basic computer skills in the library’s learning suite.
7.2 / South Oxhey Children’s Centre is delivering regular parenting classes (baby massage and baby signing) in the library’s community room.
7.3 / WestHertsCollege and Youth Connexions have used the library as a venue for the 10 week ‘Fast Track Your Future’ programme for young people on the South Oxhey estate who are not currently in education, employment or training.
7.4 / WestHertsCollege are planning to deliver Digital Photography courses and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in the library later in the year.
8. / Children and Young People
8.1 / Youth Connexions are running a Study Support Group in the library for children in Year 7 and above. The group meets 3 times a week.
8.2 / The South Oxhey Extended Schools Consortium is running weekly Homework Link sessions for primary school children in the library.
8.3 / Kev F. from ‘The Beano’ delivered Cartoon Master classes for young people in October 2009. This will be repeated in June in partnership with the Extended Schools Consortium.
8.4 / Monthly Baby Rhyme Times and weekly Story and Rhyme Times have been established in the library.
8.5 / A Chatterbooks Reading Group for young people aged 8-12 has been launched and a Teenage Reading Group (13+) is being established.
8.6 / More than 1000 local people attended Family Fun Days at the library in September and February, at which partners came together to promote the library as a venue for children’s activities and family learning.
9. / Environmental Impact
We are currently awaiting confirmation that the new library building has achieved BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) accreditation with a ‘very good’ rating.
10. / Library Usage
10.1 / Usage statistics for the October to December Quarter demonstrate the level of interest that the library has created in the local community
Oct- Dec 2008
(old library) / Oct-Dec 2009
(temporary library) / Oct-Dec 2010
(new library
Visitors / 25,918 / 16,121 / 32,777
Issues / 27,625 / 19,479 / 30,827
New members / 152 / 101 / 322
10.2 / Public feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. In the Public Library User Survey (PLUS) carried out in November 2009, 96% of respondents gave Oxhey Library an overall rating of ‘good’ or ‘very good’. 96% rated the attractiveness of the building inside as ‘good’ or ‘very good’. 93% gave a similar rating for the quality of computer facilities, and 98% rated the library as a safe place to visit.

11. Financial Implications

The Big Lottery Fund will provide £7,500 in further revenue funding in the financial year 2010/11 to support the establishment and marketing of services at Oxhey, and to cover the costs of monitoring and evaluating the project. It is a key principle of the project that, once established, wider community activities should be facilitated by the library, but managed and delivered by community partners, so there will be no ongoing financial implications for HCC.

1

100429 05 Big Lottery Fund - South Oxhey