A LIBRARY in Flintshire is to undergo a makeover later this year.

Aura Leisure and Libraries, in partnership with Flintshire Council, has announced plans to refurbish and transform Flint Library to make it a more flexible space to benefit the community. Aura Wales has recently secured £300,000 of funding for improvement works at the library through a successful capital grant application to the Welsh Government’s Museums, Archives and Libraries Division (MALD).

In addition to the £300,000, both Aura Wales and Flintshire Country Council will also contribute to the development, totalling £360,000 in new investment.

The work will commence on Monday September 16, with the newly refurbished library reopening to the community in January 2020.

During the period of refurbishment a temporary library facility will be available in Jade Jones Pavilion to ensure that residents are still able to access the valuable resources and activities that the library offers.

The temporary library facility at Jade Jones Pavilion will be available during normal leisure centre opening hours and library staff will be on hand to help during normal library hours each day.

The transformation of the library will include a community kitchen, a heritage exhibition area and space for a community garden. The current training rooms and main library will also be redesigned and transformed in order to create more flexible community spaces.

By incorporating these changes, the development will provide a well-being hub, aiding us in achieving our purpose of helping the community through the provision of culture and leisure opportunities that improve mental health and physical well-being.

The library will be refurbished and modernised to include self-service machines and updated ICT and digital services. The development’s design will also highlight Aura’s commitment to becoming a Dementia Friendly organisation.

Flint Town Councillor Michelle Perfect said: “This is a really positive development and much welcomed investment into Flint Library. This funding will make the library into a vibrant hub for the whole of the town and I look forward to seeing its potential being realised.”

Library Manager, Susannah Hill added: “The library transformation will enable us to deliver our services in new ways and offer much more to the Flint community. The library will become a more modern and flexible space to explore stories and information and allow us to offer a variety of activities and events for everyone.”

For more information please contact Susannah Hill 01352 704404 or Susannah.Hill@aura.wales