Page 11 - link magazine

Community News

11 out of 15 libraries under threat

Town Office
1 Groundwell Road, Swindon SN1 2LT
Tel: 01793 422422
Chapel of Rest
92 Ermin Street, Stratton St Margaret SN3 4NN
Tel: 01793 832072
Our family service caring for you

A truly personal and compassionate service
Save Swindon’s Libraries’ Helen Lucas and Sarah Church at The Children’s Fete
available 24 hours a day, every day of the year
Eleven out of 15 libraries in “The core network proposed in
Swindon could be closed by the end the library strategy will ensure 85 Included in The Good Funeral Guide
of 2017. per cent of households will live less in recognition of our quality of service
Swindon Council’s cabinet has put than two miles from a library.” • Professionally
the plans out to consultation in a However, the plans have been met
bid to save £1.5m from the library with anger and condemnation. qualified
budget by 2020. Save Swindon’s Libraries chair • Pre-paid funeral
According to the council the Sarah Church said: “The hard work plans available
proposal would see a core library of the campaign team, campaign
network of four libraries - Central, supporters and library users and • Home visits
North, West and Highworth - that staff has resulted in the recognition available
would meet 74 per cent of current of the importance of paid library
visits and would ensure that 80 per staff, and in the need for more • Parking available John Pearce, centre, Tracy & David
cent of current library users and 85 than one library in the core service. ‘Here for you when needed most’
per cent of Swindon’s households However, this proposal raises a lot
are within two miles of a library. of questions and concerns.
The 11 other libraries do not fall “The most pressing is the lack
within the core network so will no of a core library in the southern
longer be funded by June 2017. and eastern areas of Swindon.
The council’s cabinet has also Furthermore the reliance on Providing peace of mind for you
approved £500,000 in transitional supplementing the core service and your loved ones
funding to pay for the one-off costs with community-funded projects
of viable community-led solutions will be a postcode lottery, with the
to keep the threatened libraries areas of highest social need most Our Prepaid Funeral Plans provide
open. likely to lose out. a 100% Guarantee of our funeral
However, this funding is not “Dressing up budget cuts as an
available for building costs, opportunity is disingenuous and director services at today’s costs,
public IT networks, staffing or insulting to residents.” whilst also enabling you to record
maintenance of book stocks. Swindon’s Green Party
One option discussed is that spokesperson and Wroughton your funeral wishes in full.
alternative venues, companies or resident Talis Kimberly-Fairbourn
groups could choose from a menu said: “Parish councils and Our Prepaid Funeral Plans start from
of free or paid services to offer in community groups had been £3,350*, which includes £1,250
their area, applying for some of the waiting to hear what options they contribution towards third party costs.
transitional funding to host these would be offered, and now it’s clear
services that would then not be they have none. For extra peace of mind, a complimentary,
hosted within the proposed core “Volunteers and community professionally written Will can be provided
network. groups are already stretched to (if required).
The council would also provide capacity. The option of paying by monthly instalments
dedicated resources to support “Thousands of families will no
the expansion of volunteering longer have a library within walking is also available.
in libraries, the Home Library distance.” To receive a £75 discount on
Service, and any additional forms The Labour group’s shadow lead these fees please contact us,
of volunteering that preserve and for libraries, councillor Jim Robbins,
enhance access to library services. said: “Despite instigating a public quoting the reference ‘Link1’
Cllr Mary Martin, cabinet member consultation where almost all the 01793 832072
for communities, said: “We are 2,688 people who responded said
extremely fortunate in Swindon they wanted to keep Swindon’s or 01793 422422
to have such a large number of library services, the Tory cabinet www.pearcefuneral services.co.uk
libraries, but with an increasing ignored their message and are
amount of our budget being spent pulling funding from most libraries [email protected]
on vulnerable people we cannot go anyway. What was the point in the
on as we are. consultation?” * prices valid 1st April 2016 to 31st March 2017
swindonlink.com n August 2016 11

August 2016 Master Pages.indd 11 21/07/2016 18:58