Lend & Mend Hubs: Greenock South West Library

Imagine you could access a dedicated space with sewing machines and other equipment all set up ready to allow you to sew, mend and craft. Then you pick up some seeds at the Seed Library and get growing at the community garden and polytunnel outside. Imagine you could do all this at your local library... as well as, of course, borrow books and access computers!

Welcome to the Lend & Mend Hub in Greenock South West Library, where this is all possible. Svenja, RenCAN Hub's Circular Economy Development Officer, has paid a visit and spoke to staff members at the library.

South West's staff member Michelle Wallace explained:

"The Lend & Mend Hub runs activities, such as sewing and mending workshops, throughout the week. Some of the activities have resulted in the formation of regular groups, such as the 'Crafty Sew and Sews', the 'Chatty Crafters' and the 'Chatty Cafe Beaders'." 

The Lend & Mend hub breathed new life into a previously underused space at South West, which used to host an extensive computer suite. The introduction of the Lend & Mend Hub broadened the services the library could offer.

South West's Lend & Mend Hub is one of eight initiatives in libraries across Scotland where a dedicated space has been set up with sewing machines and mending and craft equipment. Other Lend & Mend hubs are located in libraries located in Perth, Aberdeen, Midlothian, Angus, South Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, Orkney and Edinburgh.

Each of these libraries have shaped their Lend & Mend hubs according to the needs of the communities they serve, enabling countless members of the public to access equipment and spaces and learn to mend, sew, craft and repair items. They can also help people to connect with others in their communities, addressing loneliness and isolation.

The Lend & Mend scheme was funded by the John Lewis Partnership £1Million Circular Futures Fund:

"The Lend and Mend service encourages people to keep items in use for longer, rather than throwing them away. By helping communities repair clothes or borrow household items, the hubs are helping to develop a long-term model for circular economy activities. They are also helping to tackle the cost-of-living crisis." - Scottish Libraries

Today, repair skills are less likely to be passed down from one generation to another, and community-based programmes are stepping in to address this.  Changes in the law means that a 'right to repair' is going to change manufacturing processes and mindsets. Libraries can play a role in making repairing fashionable again.

Precarious funding arrangements often prevent community groups from accessing the space and storage they need to be able to offer mending, gardening and seed saving training. Libraries, on the other hand, can benefit from partnerships with community groups to make the most of their services. 

Greenock's South West Library has also introduced a Seed Library and community growing space.  The community garden is run in partnership with Rig Arts who run weekly 'Drying Green' gardening sessions. While they are exceptionally lucky with the space they have available, it shows what can be done with an innovative mindset and lots of dedication.

Libraries are for learning - while book lending services remain their core purpose, opportunities to learn sustainability skills and addressing the cost of living crisis can play a crucial role in future-proofing our communities. 

At Renfrewshire Climate Action Hub, we hope that more libraries will embrace this potential and establish Lend & Mend Hubs, Seed Libraries and growing spaces.

If you work at a Renfrewshire library or community group and are interested in being part of this conversation, email svenja@myleapproject.org