Dear Councillor Dempster and Neighbourhood Services Team,

I am contacting you on behalf of Friends of Evington, a local voluntary group, in my capacity as Chairperson. We appreciate the opportunity to comment on the City Council’s proposals for reorganising library services. Our focus is on the future of Evington Library, which is earmarked to cease council operation under the new model. We wish to express our deep concerns about the potential loss of this much-needed facility in Evington, and to offer constructive suggestions.

In summary, we strongly urge that Evington Library remain a publicly supported service in our community. We are willing to explore a partnership solution to achieve this, but we emphasize that a purely community-managed approach, without ongoing council support, is not a sufficient replacement. Below we outline our key points, supported by evidence and the views of our trustees and members.

1        Importance of Evington Library to the Community

Evington Library is a vital hub for our area. It is not just a place to borrow books – it’s a space where residents of all ages meet, learn, and access essential services. According to the Council’s own figures, Evington Library had over 38,000 visits in 2023/24, and more than 40,000 items were issued to users that year. These numbers testify to a high level of usage, demonstrating that our library serves thousands of residents. If this local library is withdrawn or transferred out of public management, it will disrupt the lives of many people in Evington who rely on it regularly for reading, study, internet access, children’s activities, and community events.

Crucially, public transport links in Leicester operate on a “hub-and-spoke” model centred on the city centre. Evington is not directly connected by public transport to many other neighbourhoods – to reach another library, residents often would have to travel into the city centre and out again. This is impractical for older people, young students, and those without cars. How will an elderly resident or a low-income family from Evington access library services if our local branch is removed? We fear that without Evington Library, many residents will simply be cut off from library provision entirely due to these transport barriers. The nearest proposed “hub” libraries (such as Hamilton or Highfields) are several miles away, effectively inaccessible for those with mobility issues or limited funds for bus fares. Local provision matters – a library within walking distance or a short bus ride is a lifeline that cannot be replaced by a distant hub.

2        Social Need and Deprivation in Evington

While Evington may not be classified among the most deprived wards in the city, it would be a mistake to assume our community “doesn’t need” a library service. In fact, there are pockets of significant deprivation in Evington, including areas of council housing and lower-income families, with some neighbourhoods here ranking highly on deprivation indices relative to suburban areas outside the city.

Leicester as a whole is one of the most deprived local authorities in England, and Evington is not exempt from these challenges. Many residents – across all income levels – benefit from the free resources the library provides. Every community needs access to knowledge, information, and support, not only those deemed to be in “greater need.” We note that the Council’s proposal is to “target…areas of greater need” and withdraw from other sites. We fundamentally question any approach that creates a hierarchy of service provision based on relative affluence.

Should library provision really depend on a postcode’s deprivation ranking? Library and information services should be universal – the 1964 Public Libraries Act duty is to provide a “comprehensive and efficient” service for all persons, not only for those in the poorest wards.

In this context, we challenge the assumption (implicit in the consultation documents) that Evington’s needs carry less weight than those of other areas.

Our community has its own distinct needs – including a growing older population who depend on the library for social interaction and digital access, and many young people who use it for study – and these deserve equal consideration. We worry that treating some neighbourhoods as lower priority will breed resentment and undermine social cohesion. A two-tier approach to libraries (where some areas keep fully funded libraries while others are left with volunteer-run outlets or none at all) risks exacerbating divisions.

We urge the Council to avoid a “hierarchy of virtue” that pits communities against each other. All Leicester residents, whether in Evington or elsewhere, have the right to basic services.

It is also important to highlight that Evington has recently suffered the loss of several other essential services.

Within the past year, Evington Village saw the closure of its GP branch surgery, the local pharmacy, and the post office, despite considerable public outcry. The shock of losing all three facilities in close succession – even after consultations that showed overwhelming public opposition – has left our community feeling neglected and in decline. A grassroots action group (ROSE – “Retain Our Services in Evington”) formed this year in response to those closures, which shows how passionately residents feel about keeping local services.

In light of this context, the proposal to now potentially remove Evington’s library service as well is seen as another blow to the area. The library is one of the last public amenities in our village; taking it away would compound the sense of decline and could have a detrimental effect on community morale and wellbeing. We implore the Council to consider the cumulative impact – Evington cannot afford to lose yet another focal point of community life.

3        Concerns About a Community-Managed Library Model

Friends of Evington has serious reservations that a community-managed library, run primarily by volunteers or an outside group, would adequately replace the current professionally-run service. We do appreciate the Council’s financial pressures and the exploration of new models. However, we must be realistic about what a volunteer-run model can achieve. The consultation proposal explicitly lists Evington Library as one that the Council would no longer run, instead inviting community organisations to take it on.

In practice, this means that unless a viable community group steps forward with a sound business plan, Evington Library will effectively be shut down. The documents themselves acknowledge that “where no viable business plan is put forward…the building would close”. We note that at the public meeting on 10 June, Council representatives assured us “the library won’t close,” yet in the same breath clarified that if no group comes forward, the building could be repurposed or sold off. This is essentially a closure by another name, which greatly worries us. Who will guarantee that library services continue in Evington if the community option fails? The uncertainty around this model is very unsettling for residents and users.

Even if a community or voluntary group does come forward, the sustainability of a volunteer-based library is far from guaranteed. Running a library is a complex operation: it requires maintaining skilled staff, managing stock and IT systems, organizing activities, ensuring safeguarding and data protection, and so on. We fear that volunteers – no matter how dedicated – would struggle to meet these demands on a long-term, consistent basis.

It is telling that even during the consultation meeting, Council officers acknowledged that libraries differ from other community facilities and would require a higher level of ongoing support. In other words, libraries cannot simply be handed over and expected to thrive without continued professional input. If Evington Library is run by an overstretched volunteer team or an external charity with limited resources, the quality and breadth of services are likely to diminish.

Reduced opening hours, loss of expertise, and fewer programs (e.g. children’s story times, study help, digital skills sessions) could result. This would represent a major loss for our community. We have already seen in other cases that when professional roles are eliminated, the unique knowledge and continuity they provide is hard to replace.

Another major concern is financial sustainability. Who will pay for the ongoing costs of Evington Library under a community model? The building will still need heating, lighting, insurance, cleaning, and maintenance. Books and computers will still need updating and replacing over time. The consultation suggests that community groups would get some support to develop a business case, but there is no clear commitment of long-term funding or resources from the Council in this scenario.

It would be highly risky to assume that a small charity or volunteers can continuously fundraise ~and invest at the level required to keep the library running year after year. We echo the question raised at one consultation meeting: how are local people expected to sustain the funding annually, even if they manage to start up the service with grants in the first year or two? Without a firm safety net or support plan, a community-run Evington Library might be set up to fail in the mid-term, leaving us worse off than before. This is a key reason why our trustees feel a solely community-managed service is not an adequate replacement for a publicly funded library. It would effectively offload the Council’s statutory responsibilities onto volunteers, which is neither fair nor realistic.

4        Willingness to Work Toward a Partnership Solution

Despite the above concerns, Friends of Evington is determined not to see our library disappear, and we are prepared to be part of the solution. The trustees have discussed the situation at length, and we are willing to investigate a community partnership model for Evington Library – but only with the necessary support and resources from other agencies (especially the City Council).

We do not have the capacity to make a significant long-term financial investment on our own, nor do we envision being able to replace professional librarians entirely with volunteers. However, we believe a “hybrid” model could be workable, wherein the Council continues to provide core support (for example, retaining responsibility for the building’s upkeep, the book stock and IT infrastructure, and a baseline of professional library staff), while community volunteers and partners supplement this with additional help and activities.

Notably, this very approach was suggested during the Evington consultation meeting by our local councillor, Cllr. Zuffar Haq. He proposed that the Council maintain responsibility for the building, books, and qualified librarians, supported by local volunteers – a pragmatic solution that was well-received by those in attendance.

We wholeheartedly endorse exploring this kind of partnership. Friends of Evington stands ready to contribute volunteer time, community outreach, and governance oversight to make such a model succeed, in collaboration with the Council. Many in the community indicated support for this balanced approach, which “fits in with the Council’s expressed model of provision” as noted in the meeting report.

To move this forward, we suggest establishing a joint working group (if one is not already in motion) to develop a detailed plan for Evington Library. In fact, at the 10 June meeting, Councillor Haq called for volunteers to join a working party to formulate a formal proposal, and several people (including members of Friends of Evington) put their names forward. We are encouraged by this and would like to formally participate in any such working group.

We ask that Council officers and relevant decision-makers also engage with us in this process. By bringing together stakeholders – local residents’ representatives, Friends of Evington, Ward Councillors, any other interested civic groups, and Council library professionals – we can collaboratively craft a viable community partnership bid. This group can tackle the practical questions: for example, what mix of paid staff and volunteers is feasible, what funding streams (grants, sponsorship, etc.) can be tapped, what governance structure would ensure accountability, and what support (in-kind or financial) the Council can commit to in order to set the venture up for success.

We believe a co-produced solution is possible, but the Council’s active involvement is essential to guide and underwrite parts of the service. We therefore urge the Council to work with us, rather than simply expecting the community to “pick up the pieces.”

5        Commitment to Inclusivity and Accountability

Friends of Evington is an inclusive organisation, and we are committed to ensuring that any library service in Evington remains open and welcoming to all. This means regardless of income, age, disability, ethnicity or faith, gender, or residential status, everyone should continue to have equal access. Public libraries are one of the few truly open-to-all spaces in society, and we insist that this principle be upheld even if the management model changes.

If we enter a partnership to help run Evington Library, we would do so only in a manner that preserves the library as a public community asset – not a members-only club or a venue serving only a subset of the community. We note that the Council’s equality duty requires it to consider impacts on all protected groups; in our view, keeping a local library in Evington aligns strongly with promoting equality and social inclusion. We will work to ensure that, for example, low-income families (who may not be able to travel to distant libraries) can still use Evington Library, that those with disabilities have access as before, and that services like bilingual resources for our diverse community continue to be provided.

Moreover, should a partnership involve another civic society organisation (for instance, a charity or social enterprise that might join the effort), we would insist on proper accountability and transparency checks. The trustees of Friends of Evington would only collaborate with legitimate, established partners who have a track record of good governance and share our commitment to public service values. We want the community to have full confidence that Evington Library, even if managed in a new way, will operate with integrity, inclusive principles, and robust oversight.

Any group involved must be open to scrutiny, operate safely (especially if working with children or vulnerable users), and be financially accountable. Friends of Evington can help provide that local oversight along with other partners, ensuring that the library remains grounded in the community’s needs and not captured by any narrow interests. In short, we are open to partnership – but it must be a partnership that puts the community first.

6        Evington’s Needs Must Not Be Overlooked

We acknowledge that library services must evolve with changing times and usage patterns. We understand the Council’s duty to modernize and make the service financially sustainable. Indeed, Friends of Evington has long been supportive of innovations to increase library usage – whether it’s introducing new activities, updating digital offerings, or making buildings more multi-functional. We do not oppose change; we want to be part of positive changes that keep our library relevant for future generations.

What we challenge, however, are the assumptions in the current proposal that appear to diminish the needs of Evington in the pursuit of targeting “areas of greater need” elsewhere. Modernisation should not mean abandoning one community to better serve another. We urge the Council to remember its statutory obligation to provide a library service for all citizens of Leicester. Evington may statistically rank as more “average” in deprivation, but it is still home to thousands of library users who deserve consideration.

We ask: on what basis is it decided that our area’s library can be dispensable? The feedback from Evington residents (through petitions, the consultation meeting, and local media) has been crystal clear – people value this library and do not want to lose it. We trust that the Council will give due weight to our voices.

In conclusion, the Friends of Evington strongly oppose any outcome that would result in the closure of Evington Library or an inadequately supported volunteer takeover. Such an outcome would be profoundly disruptive for local residents and, we believe, detrimental to the city’s library service as a whole.

However, we are not simply saying “no” to all change – we are offering to work with you on an alternative. We ask that the Council reciprocate by committing to a partnership approach: keep a stake in Evington Library (financially and operationally), and empower the community to help enhance it. This could become a positive model of community–Council collaboration, rather than a story of cuts and retreat.

The recent consultation meeting gave a hopeful sign that this is possible, as Council representatives acknowledged the need for ongoing support in libraries and community members volunteered to help. Let us build on that.

Next Steps: We propose an urgent follow-up meeting or working group session between Friends of Evington representatives and the Neighbourhood Services team to discuss the specifics of a community partnership model for Evington Library. We also encourage the Council to be transparent about what support (in terms of funds, staffing, training, etc.) it can provide to any community-run pilot. With the survey closing soon, we hope our input will be taken into account in the final decision.

We are prepared to develop a formal business case in tandem with the Council if given the chance. Ultimately, our goal is the same as yours – to ensure a sustainable library service that meets local needs. We simply ask that Evington is not left behind in that process.

Thank you for considering our views. We remain, as ever, passionate about our community and willing to work hard to maintain the services that help it thrive. We look forward to a constructive dialogue and a mutually agreeable solution that keeps Evington Library’s doors open for everyone.

Yours sincerely,

Helen Pettman,

Chairperson, Friends of Evington

On behalf of the Trustees and Members of Friends of Evington

7        Sources Cited

• Leicester City Council, Consultation on Proposals for Libraries and Community Centres 2025 – official consultation documents
• Evington Echo – John McFadyen, report on consultation meeting at Evington Library, 13 June 2025
• Leicester City Council – Evington Library usage statistics (2023/24)
• Evington Echo – A ROSE is a ROSE… Part 1 (Friends of Evington news on local service closures)
• Thoughts of a Leicester Socialist blog – “Leicester’s Cuts Consultation Continues: Evington Library…” (quoting a resident’s letter and meeting details)