Ackworth Community Library is a small local charity (Registered Charity Number 1152172), based in the Parish Council Community Centre on Bell Lane.
We opened on 1st March 2013 after the branch library in the village that had been run by Wakefield Metropolitan District Council (WMDC) was closed on 31st January 2013. This was one of 12 branch libraries Wakefield closed at the time. Wakefield MDC left us most of the furniture, fixtures and fittings along with a majority of the older books they had stocked. We were able to put together a business
plan that was accepted by WMDC and as a result they gave us a start up grant of £12,500. Ackworth Parish Council, who own the building where the library is sited, generously agreed to lease the library room to us for a pepper corn rent and in addition gave us a grant of over £11,000 to cover all of our start up costs. These included items such as insurance, the replacement equipment we need to install, the purchase of an electronic library catalogue, signage and the many small items that were needed to get the library running again. We were fortunate to be able to take over some of the computers and equipment that belonged to the Ahead charity. This had been running for a number of years in another room in the Parish Council Community Centre but their trustees had reluctantly made the decision to close it down. Since opening we have begun to start purchasing new equipment to replace some of the older items. Having investigated the fate and demise of a number of volunteer run libraries elsewhere in the country we made the decision to employ a librarian to manage the facility. Helen Shaw, our library manager is an experienced librarian who leads and guides the volunteers who are so crucial to our day-to-day running. As the result of recent additional funding from the Esmee Fairburn Foundation, Helen is now supported by Assistant Librarian, Tina Adamson. The generosity and good will of our members means that we already have 50 per cent more books on our catalogue than when the library was managed by WMDC. We share all our stock with the community libraries in Altofts, Upton and Walton, which means that we have access to an even greater range of material than appears on our shelves. The library is guided and managed by six trustees appointed under the rules of our Constitution (documents section) and the Charity Commission. Trustee Chairman: Rev Paul Hartley
Trustee Treasurer: Roger Brown
Trustee: Cris Garbutt
Trustee: Brenda Goulding
Trustee: Tom Peacock
Trustee: Dorothy Short
