Local people can now visit their nearest library and get help with money management, housing or health.
As a result of the Council transforming all 11 of its libraries into community hubs, people across the borough can now visit their local library to access a range of support, close to home. This will complement the existing library offer of books, computers and workspaces, activities and more.
Councillors and Cabinet Members, Ajmer Grewal, for Resident Support, Communities and Equalities, and Salman Shaheen, for Culture, Leisure and Public Spaces, visited Osterley Community Hub and Library on Monday, 1 December. Where they spoke to staff about the new community hub offer and visited a knitting and needlework group and baby stay and play session, which both form part of the Council's warm spaces offer.
Since the launch of Hounslow’s community hubs in 2023, they have helped more than 10,000 local people to access support. The Council's hubs also offer free activities for children and adults.
Voluntary sector groups such as Citizens Advice Hounslow and Hounslow Seniors Trust can also be found in many Hounslow libraries. Making it easier for people to find the right help, at the right time, closer to home.
Cllr Ajmer Grewal visits a knitting and needlework group, at Osterley Community Hub and Library
Hounslow’s community hub and libraries are also great places to take up an activity, make new friends or learn new skills. During the winter, people can also stay out of the cold in their local library, reading, using a computer or making friends at one of many activities.
Councillor Ajmer Grewal said
We’re excited to have completed the delivery of all 11 community hubs, within our libraries this year and I'm happy to have visited one of them this week.
It was a pleasure to meet the baby stay and play group and catch up and learn more about how the space will better support local people.
These hubs bring key services closer to the doorstep of every home in Hounslow. They also bring us another step closer to our ambition of making Hounslow a fairer place to live, where everyone has a chance to thrive.”
Councillor Salman Shaheen said
We have achieved our goal of delivering community hub support in all our libraries, as part of our wider ambition to bring council services together, to better serve local people.
It was great to visit our Osterley Hub and meet members of their knitting and needlework group. I also welcomed the opportunity to talk to staff about our new community hub offer.
We invite residents to visit their new community hub and library, to pick up some more digital skills, find somewhere to work, borrow their child’s first library book or simply take a break in the warm.
Find a local hub on the Council website https://hounslowconnect.com/pages/community-hubs
