Ore Library: Open & Thriving
FIONA MCGARRY visits Ore Library to find out how it’s going three years after reopening
When I arrived on Tuesday morning, the Story Time session for pre-school children was in full swing. The children were exploring stories, singing nursery rhymes and taking part in craft activities accompanied by giggles, chatter and clapping. One mother told me she brings her toddler here to have fun – to meet other children and get actively involved with books in a friendly space. Hopefully, this will be the start of a long love affair with books and libraries for these children.
When ESCC decided to close down seven branches of its libraries, the local community in Ore decided it wasn’t going to take this lying down. With the help of a grant from Big Local North East Hastings, matched by Orbit Homes, a local housing association, they raised £15,000 to reopen their library.
The new community library opened its doors in May 2021 – interestingly, everything inside was exactly as it had been left when it closed in 2018. Since then, it has been run entirely by volunteers for the benefit of the community – independently of public funds. It opens every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday between 10am and 4pm. Membership is free, and the library is open to all adults and juniors.
There are over 6,000 book titles to choose from and the library is kept up to date with new titles as they are published (at the moment they are a bit overwhelmed with the sheer quantities of donated books). Users can borrow books, read in the library, sit in the small garden/terrace at the back of the building or use the newly-acquired computer and printing services – much valued by local users who may not have these at home or need help with completing online forms.
With the help of the National Literacy Trust, they also join in various schemes and initiatives like the Summer Reading Challenge. They are currently taking part in the ‘Take 10 to Read’ initiative, which encourages everyone to improve their mental health by taking time out to sit down and read for 10 minutes each day.
Jim Breeds is one of the four library trustees (along with Lizzy Sergeant, Heather Bishop and Andrew Battley). He grew up in Hastings and remembers first being taken to the library by his mother in 1961. He’s passionate about keeping Ore library open and says: “So many people come here who wouldn’t go to the library if it wasn’t local. Having to go by bus to the main library can put people off. Even though it’s just a short journey, it can be expensive for a family to take the bus.”
Jim says he still encounters local people who tell him: “I didn’t know the library was still open!” Undeterred, he’s planning to distribute flyers around the local neighborhood to “get the word out”.
The trust pays a peppercorn rent, so outgoings are low (about £450 per month), with overheads mainly restricted to maintenance and repair. However, in July they were able to renew the original three-year lease for another 20 years. This means they have a more secure future and can invest in longer-term projects, including improvements to the building itself. Some possible ideas in the pipeline are a mural to make the library more visible and a properly thought-out homework club for the young people that use the library.
All this would require more focus on fundraising, and Jim says he would also like to recruit more trustees to help with this side of running the library.
I also spoke to two of the volunteers, Sarah and Diane, as they were creating an October display of books and autumn leaves. They tell me there are now 1,140 members of all ages including “one man in his 80s who always brings in biscuits for us.” Volunteering at the library is clearly a good opportunity to get creative and make friends. Sarah explains her motivation: “I love books and storytelling – and being here, you feel that connection with the local community.”
As I left the library, I was aware of that “local community” in the streets of Ore. And I was struck by how the library represents so many good things about this part of town: a strong sense of identity and an impression of resilience.
Other Initiatives in Ore
- In September, Ore in Bloom went to Wisley Gardens and received an RHS Britian in Bloom It’s Your Neighbourhood award. They have created community gardens at the Fire Station on the Ridge, at the Community Library, at the Sunflower Café, part of Ore Community Centre and most recently at the Men’s Shed. They also provide the hanging baskets in the village
and run an annual Ore in Bloom Competition. - On Saturday 5 October, the Big Local Finale Street Festival took place at Ore Community Centre. The festival was a celebration of 10 years of National Lottery Funding to the Ore, Tressell and Baird wards. The Big Local initiative has helped to fund a lot of local projects.
- Hope for the Bridge: there was great sadness when the Bridge Community Centre in Ore Valley had to close. The centre opened in 2006 and was much loved by the local community for its innovative, sustainable design, its popular café and the range of activities offered. After a very long wait, Parchment Trust became the full legal owners in March 2024 and are now on a mission to raise funds to reopen it. They will need to raise around £350k to make it safe and operational, as the site is in a state of disrepair and most of the equipment has been condemned.
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Hi Fiona,
Important correction needed please to “When HBC decided to close down seven branches of its libraries …”.
It was ESCC, the County Council, not HBC. Thanks.