A new initiative to help Bedfordians live more sustainably is launching at Bedford Central Library in January – and they need your help.
Share Bedford’s library of things will enable members to borrow items from a town centre location for a small fee. From jet washers to pasta makers, leaf blowers to cat carriers, they hope that Bedfordians will pool their resources to borrow rather than buy.
The volunteer-run initiative will officially launch in January, but from today (1 December) they are open to donations from the public to begin to stock their library with useful tools, gadgets and things.
So if your garage is full of tools gathering dust, your cupboard under the stairs houses a sewing machine not getting much use or there are golf clubs in your shed that last saw some action when Arnold Palmer was still playing, Share Bedford would love to hear from you.
Set up as a charity, Share Bedford has six volunteer trustees who will also help with the day-to-day running of the project. And at a time when many people are feeling the effects of the cost-of-living crisis while feeling less connected with society, the timing feels perfect.
Susan Throssell, one of the volunteers, told the Bedford Independent, “I’m passionate about building community and creating spaces where people can connect, even for just a moment.
“Borrowing and sharing not only saves money and reduces waste – important steps for our planet – but also challenge the consumer-driven culture and I love that idea as a quiet form of protest.
“Share Bedford is about relationships, showing care for one another, and making gentle connections while saving money in the process.”
The collaboration with Bedford Central Library is significant as it gives Share Bedford a town centre location and a partnership with Bedford Borough Council. It also has the backing of Green Party councillors Lucy Bywater, Paul Edmonds and Ben Foley and funding from the Harpur Trust.
Share Bedford volunteer Julia Jones, a former librarian, said: “I think we should recognise the generosity of the library providing a home and how congruent the concept is of not only providing information in many forms but also physical objects.
“Volunteers play a large role in today’s society including libraries.”
What to donate
If you would like to make a donation, here are some guidelines of ‘things’ that Share Bedford could make use of:
Garden things:
Lawn Raker
Pressure washer with patio cleaning head
Strimmer
Hedge trimmer/Grass strimmer/Pole hedge trimmer
Pizza oven
DIY things:
Sander
Sack barrow
Drill
Mitre saw/Reciprocating saw/Circular saw/Jig saw
Spirit level
Electric planer
Wallpaper stripper
Paste table
Angle grinder
Ladder
Extension lead
Fun things:
Jigsaws
Games
Big garden games
Candyfloss maker/popcorn maker/chocolate fountain
Karaoke machine
Disco ball
Badge maker
Bubble machine
Household things:
Cake mixer
Dehydrator
Specialised cake tins
Whiteboard
Wheelchair
Air fryer
Breadmaker
“Reduce waste and support a more sustainable lifestyle”
Trustee, Richard Baker, said: ‘I’m really excited to be involved in starting a library of things in Bedford. I worked at Bedford Central Library 30 years ago, so I know what a busy hub it is for the community.
“I think the Library of Things can really help people in Bedford by saving them money, reducing waste and consumption, reducing clutter at home, and supporting a more sustainable lifestyle.
“Did you know that the average lifetime use of a drill is just 12-13 minutes? It makes sense to borrow rather than buy
The organisers of Bedford Repair Cafe said they were very excited to hear about the launch of Share Bedford.
“A community library is an amazing way for people to save money and help the environment, two things we are totally invested in at Bedford Repair Cafe,” said Katie Allen.
“We hope that seeing initiatives like this pop up all over Bedford will encourage people to stop and think about how they can be more sustainable. It also dispels the myth that living sustainably has to be an expensive endeavour.”
How to donate
If you have ‘things’ that you would like to donate to Share Bedford, you can get in touch either via the contact page on their website or you can email info@sharebedford.org.
