26/05/2025
Update from Penmaenmawr Library & Community Support Group
Following our post a few months back relating to David Wyke’s retirement from managing the library building and community support group - it has taken us a while, but we are finally in a good place to start developing the space to support our communities better.
We’d like to share a few updates with you:
In our first board meeting which took place on 1st April, it was decided to change the name of our group to: Penmaenmawr Community Hub (Hwb Cymunedol Penmaenmawr). This name is more appropriate (and easy to understand) to describe the support services that will be operating from the library space in the future. Support Services such as housing, mental health, substance and gambling misuse, job search/application, domestic abuse, support for families & children, neuro-diverse conditions (stroke, MND, brain injury, dementia etc), literacy/numeracy etc will all be accessible from the hub by the end of this financial year (hopefully much sooner) in addition to groups still being able to use the space as they do currently.
Steven Consterdine has been appointed as Treasurer for Penmaenmawr Community Hub. Steven is currently our Mayor for Penmaenmawr Town Council and also owns a couple of local businesses. His finance skills are to the highest standard and of course, being a local chap, has an excellent knowledge of our communities in addition to many other excellent skills which will be incredibly helpful to the hub. Steven will be contacting our existing users shortly to ensure our details are up-to-date whilst leading on all supplier relationships and many other key aspects of operating the building.
We are in the process of refurbishing the small room (just as you come into the library) which will be available for hire, after we've cleared and redecorated it. It would be an ideal room for upto 5 people or one-to-one sessions for counselling/support or small meetings.
Plas Menai Surgery will be holding an information event in the next month for all residents to attend and find out more about how the surgery operates and the challenges it is facing. Dr Jens will be coming along to the hub one evening (to maximise opportunities for as many residents to attend as possible). As soon as we have a confirmed date, we’ll let you know and we’ll put on panad and cake for you, if you don’t have time to eat beforehand.
We will be holding a library space user group meeting in the next month or so, to ensure we get the views those who use the library and also invite you to become a member of our committee for the hub; we'll be in touch with you with further details in the near future.
We will also be holding a community open session (probably on a Saturday afternoon to ensure as many people can come along as possible). This will be an opportunity for the community to tell us when they want to see happening in the hub and surrounding community spaces which we’ll be linking up with, to ensure everyone has access to the support we’ll be offering. We would also like local residents to consider becoming committee members, if they have time to spare.
From the above two meetings, we will be producing a long-term strategy/plan for the development of the library space to ensure it does the best it can, for its residents. This will be shared widely and we will be looking for funding from a variety of different sources to achieve the aims of the strategy/plan.
Finally, we are in discussions with Welsh Government to obtain a grant to section the computer area off, so this can be used for other activities, whilst the library is operating as an actual library (ie, on the days the librarians are there). This will be a sound-proof room which can also be hired out separately, with bi-folding doors and seating to be configured by the hirer. We also plan to have a large flat screen TV on the wall linked to the wifi, so presentations can be delivered on the screen or virtual/online meetings/sessions held with those present. Longer-term, we hope to apply for further grant funding to extend the building (subject to planning permission, of course).
I hope you will find this update is positive. If you have any queries or ideas, please contact us directly so we can discuss these with you.
Email: [email protected] or 07525 726074
Diolch mawr / many thanks,
Lisa Goodier, Chair of Penmaenmawr Community Hub
