Two housing developments in Gloucestershire have become home to miniature community street libraries, thanks to two apprentice joiners working in the county.
Charfield Gardens in Wotton-under-Edge and Great Oldbury in Stonehouse have both had street libraries installed to help build a sense of community at the housing developments.
The libraries have been built by joinery apprentices, 19-year-old Drew Lewis and 18-year-old Ethan Godwin, who are both on the apprenticeship programme at Barratt Homes’ Bristol division, working towards their level two and three qualifications in carpentry.
Each street library is made from fully weather-proofed wood with a Perspex door, containing around 50 books that are free to access at any time. Residents are being encouraged to take part in the community book-swap scheme and exchange books with their neighbours.
Andrea Pilgrim, sales director at Barratt Homes Bristol, which also covers Gloucestershire, said: ‘These street libraries are just one way we are working to create a real sense of community within the new developments we are building. We hope that people enjoy using them, perhaps discover a new book they might not have tried otherwise, or even make new connections within their community through the initiative.
‘It is particularly rewarding to see our young apprentices embracing this project; they have done a fantastic job of creating the street libraries and we congratulate them on their excellent craftsmanship.’
As well as the street libraries, Charfield Gardens has allotments, a community orchard and a new children’s play area, with a trail connecting the development to nearby countryside walking routes; while Great Oldbury is set to have multiple play areas, sports pitches and a new school, as well as planting 350 new trees.
