Seascale Library Link – Annual report Apr 2024 to Apr 2025
Looking back over the year, it’s been very busy.
The team of around eighteen volunteers continues to work very well. Some have left, and there are some new faces, but the library continues to be a welcoming place for its visitors.
This is team is still overseen by six trustees and the treasurer, who look after the overall running of the library – safety (including rewriting the fire risk assessment this year) and any building issues, and staying in touch with the parish council.
We have also been well supported by Whitehaven Library with book exchanges, requests from other libraries, and general enquiries, and by the parish council.
The library has been used by several local groups. The reading group meets here, the health visitor has a baby clinic in the library, and there’s a well-being group. The building has also been used by the local knitters and local Scouting, and it’s a designated warm space when it’s open. Other community information groups have also used the library, notable “Digital Voice” about the new phone system.
The library took part in the summer reading challenge, and there is now a range of talking books on offer. We’ve introduced a “theme of the month” display to try to promote the different genres of books available.
Book donations from residents of the village are very generous, and there is a programme of turning the best of these into new books for the library, with the remainder being offered for sale to raise library funds. We also have a range of jigsaws for people to borrow, which is very popular.
We’ve held several coffee mornings, which were well attended, and we’ve also had a local history display, finishing with an enormously successful cheese and wine evening as part of Seascale Gala week.
Money raised from the coffee mornings was used to buy new armchairs and a table for the library, which looks much smarter as a result.
Christmas activities included a mulled wine and mince pie afternoon, a posting box for children’s letters to Santa, and a library Christmas tree in the Church Christmas tree festival.
We’ve introduced a fortnightly “cuppa and craft” session, and tried one or two story and craft sessions for younger children, although these weren’t as popular and will need a rethink. We’re also developing a new wildlife garden at the side of the library.
Since the monthly Saturday morning opening was very poorly attended, it has recently been decided to open every Saturday for a trial period of three months to see if that helps.
The building continues to have its issues. The planned refurbishment still seems a very long way off, although the plans are now complete. We are all looking forward to having a smarter, bigger library.
## **Seascale Community Library**
## **Income and Expenditure for Period 1.4.22 to 31.3.23**
|**Income**
Grants
Donations
Hire of Premises
**Expenditure**
Non-Domestic Rates
Bank Charges
Miscellaneous Expenses
**Surplus Income over Expenditure**
**Reconciliation Statement 31.3.23**
Opening Balance
**Income**
**Expenditure**
**Balance c/f**
**HELD**
Unity Bank
Cash
**Total**|**2023**
5370
906
930
**7206**
697
72
542
**1311**
**5895**
**2023**
896
7206
8102
1310
**6792**
6726
66
**6792**|**2022**
595
319
-|
|---|---|---|
|||**914**
-
18
-|
|||**18**
**896**|
|||**2022**
-
914|
|||914
18|
|||**896**|
|||862
34|
|||**896**|
## **Seascale Community Library**
## **Income and Expenditure for Period 1.4.23 to 31.3.24**
|**Income**
Grants
Donations
Hire of Premises
**Expenditure**
Non-Domestic Rates
Bank Charges
Miscellaneous Expenses
**Surplus Income over Expenditure**
**Reconciliation Statement 31.3.24**
Opening Balance
**Income**
**Expenditure**
**Balance c/f**
**HELD**
Debtor (NNDR)
Unity Bank
Cash
**Total**|**2024**
2332
1464
1620
**5416**
-
72
6829
**6901**
**-1485**
**2024**
6792
5416
12208
6901
5307
414
4818
75
**5307**|**2023**
5370
906
930|
|---|---|---|
|||**7206**
697
72
542|
|||**1311**
**5895**|
|||**2023**
896
7206|
|||8102
1310|
|||**6792**|
|||-
6726
66|
|||**6792**|
## **Seascale Community Library**
## **Income and Expenditure for Period 1.4.24 to 31.3.25**
|**Income**
Grants
Donations
Hire of Premises
**Expenditure**
Non-Domestic Rates
Bank Charges
Miscellaneous Expenses
**Surplus Income over Expenditure**
Opening Balance
**Income**
**Expenditure**
**Balance c/f**
**HELD**
Debtor (NNDR)
Unity Bank
Cash
**Total**
**Reconciliation Statement**
**31.3.25**|**2025**
0
1806
1968
**3774**
-
71
1848
**1919**
**1855**
**2025**
5307
3774
9081
1919
7162
-
7069
93
**7162**|**2024**
2332
1464
1620|
|---|---|---|
|||**5416**
-
72
6829|
|||**6901**
**-1485**|
|||**2024**
6792
5416|
|||12208
6901|
|||5307|
|||414
4818
75|
|||**5307**|