Library reopens with Sunday roasts and new workspaces

Wallasey Village Library reopened under community management on 4 February 2025 and now has 1,257 members and 6,897 loans; the on-site café serves Sunday roasts and new work spaces funded by The Johnson Foundation are being installed.

Wallasey Village Library reopened for lending on 4 February 2025 after closing in October 2022 amid council budget cuts. A local group took over the building and converted it into a mixed community centre with about one third for library services, one third for hireable community space and the remainder housing a café. The building is now open Monday to Sunday and has become a regular meeting place for residents. Organisers and volunteers describe the mixed use as central to the site's revival and community reach. Key details: - The library has 1,257 members and has loaned 6,897 books since reopening for lending a year ago. - In 2020 the site was open about 18 hours a week; it is now open every day of the week. - The building’s layout was changed so one third is library space, one third is a community hire space and the rest houses the Baked café. - The café offers an expanded menu including Sunday roasts, and the community room is reported as booked most nights. - New work spaces are being installed with funding from The Johnson Foundation to add digital and desk facilities. - The library won an award for promoting reading and literacy after staging a live-streamed 24-hour readathon, and nearby St George’s Primary School regularly uses the facility and its catalogue of 7,198 books. Summary: The reopening has increased membership, borrowing and daily footfall, and volunteers and school staff say the site has strengthened local connections. New work spaces funded by The Johnson Foundation are being installed to broaden access and facilities for users, and the library continues to operate as a community-led space.