Local people benefitting from £4 million Elder Park Library and Community Hub refurbishment
The £4 million restoration of Glasgow’s Elder Park Library has been hailed by its local community.
Community groups and schoolchildren were invited to the facility, now known as Elder Park Library and Community Hub, on Wednesday 18 September 2024 for an official reopening ceremony.
Little ones enjoyed a Bookbug session as part of the event before choir members from Govan Gaelic Primary School, Ibrox Primary School and Riverside Primary School performed a series of songs. A ribbon was then cut and a plaque was unveiled by Bailie Annette Christie, Chair of Glasgow Life.
The official reopening ceremony took place after Glasgow Life, the charity that leads culture and sport in Glasgow, welcomed the first visitors back to the refurbished library on Monday 24 June 2024.
In partnership with Elderpark Housing Association, significant improvements were made to Elder Park Library and Community Hub to make the A-listed building more accessible and sustainable and ensure it best meets the needs of the local community.
The internal and external work upgraded the library and community spaces. It also created a new community kitchen and more bookable areas for people to use, as well as extra library toilets and improved baby changing facilities.
Among those making use of the new-look facility is Impact Arts, an arts organisation that helps to transform lives through creative activities by building people’s confidence and empowering them to achieve their potential. Impact Arts has set up a Craft Café arts programme at Elder Park Library and Community Hub to support local people aged 60 and above to get creative, improve their wellbeing and, in turn, combat loneliness.
Impact Arts runs its Craft Café on Tuesdays (11.00am-4.00pm), Wednesdays (10.00am-2.00pm) and Thursdays (11.00am-4.00pm).
Angela Smith, Programme Manager at Impact Arts, said: “The Craft Café members are very impressed by the newly renovated building. It’s light and comfortable. It’s a hub for the community and we foresee many exciting new links and relationships will be developed as a result of being based in the library building.
“We are sure we’ll have many happy years working in this building. The library will allow us to continue our programme in a welcoming space in the heart of Govan. The size of the room will allow us to invite visiting artists in and host showcase events in the future.
“The setting and the grandeur of the building is impressive. The library will allow us to continue running essential provision for older people.”
Environmental charity Urban Roots is another group which holds community-focused activities at Elder Park Library and Community Hub.
Urban Roots delivers food growing and conservation activities across the southside of Glasgow. The group is using Elder Park Library and Community Hub’s new kitchen space to offer a lunch club and monthly community meals to promote healthier eating and connect with people who live nearby.
Julia Boswell, Food and Health Coordinator at Urban Roots, said: “We were in Elder Park Community Centre before, and we’ve been using the new space. It’s a really nice building and there are nice views out the window. It’s good for the community to have the library there.
“We have two programmes: one is the lunch club, where people come to cook and eat together. On a Saturday, we always serve food. One Saturday a month we do a community meal. People of all ages can come along, it’s open to all.”
Glasgow Eagles Sports Club is also using Elder Park Library and Community Hub’s new facilities to support locals. The charity runs sports activities for people with disabilities, including table tennis and boccia.
Glasgow Eagles was founded in 1988 and previously based some of its activities in the former Elder Park Community Centre. The club also offers basketball, cycling, golf and powerlifting sessions.
Alec Watt MBE, Glasgow Eagles Sports Club Founder, said: “The new-look Elder Park Library and Community Hub is an excellent advert for Glasgow Life Libraries as it is homely, welcoming and a place that you’re happy to be in and spend time.
“We were advised as to what space was available and we were delighted, as this was ideal for our table tennis and boccia groups. In the not-too-distant future we may be able to introduce other indoor games or activities.
“The newly refurbished library will attract many new members from the local community through word of mouth because of its endearing qualities. It’s a focal point, a community resource.”
Elder Park Library and Community Hub also hosts free adult literacy classes, run by Glasgow Life. The sessions offer support with reading, writing, spelling and numbers.
Andy Robinson, Assistant Area Manager for Community Services, Glasgow Life, said: “Glasgow Life’s Adult Learning Service is delighted to offer an expanded learning offer at Elder Park Library and Community Hub, including classes for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Adult Literacy and Numeracy (ALN) and Creative Writing. The newly refurbished facility now offers a high-quality, supportive community learning hub where all learners can improve English skills, build confidence, connect with others and develop their skills as a pathway to further education and employment.”
Elder Park Library and Community Hub will soon be home to books chosen by pupils from local schools who will be given a chance to pick their favourite titles for the junior section.
Bailie Annette Christie, Chair of Glasgow Life and Glasgow City Council Convenor for Culture, Sport and International Relations, said: “Glasgow Life Libraries are much-loved by their communities and the new-look Elder Park Library and Community Hub is a prime example of the pivotal part these facilities play in the lives of local people. There is so much on offer in the refreshed space, from Craft Café arts activities to table tennis, and of course free access to books, digital resources and information. The range of activities and support at Elder Park Library and Community Hub will ensure the facility remains a central feature at the heart of its local community for generations to come.”
Gary Dalziel, Chief Executive Officer of Elderpark Housing Association, said: “The Elder Park Library and Community Hub is a building of cultural significance in Govan and the recent significant financial investment is already providing opportunities for individuals and local groups to re-engage with the building and the spaces within it. It is early days since re-opening, but the transformation is stunning and I am certain the venue will be enjoyed by those residing within Govan for many years to come.”
Visit the Elder Park Library webpage on the Glasgow Life website for more information.