An award-winning partnership in Staffordshire that maintains local libraries as a vibrant community resource and provides opportunities to support volunteers’ mental and physical wellbeing is to expand.

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT), which currently manages a number of several community libraries has been appointed by Staffordshire County Council to take over the popular Rising Brook library in Stafford from 13 December.

The library is one of 27 Community Managed Libraries in Staffordshire, in which the management and day-to-day running is taken on by a community group, while the authority remains responsible for providing stock and IT and paying agreed utility and maintenance costs.

Victoria Wilson, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Communities and Culture, said: “I am delighted to announce that MPFT will be taking on the day-to-day management and running of Rising Brook.

“MPFT has successfully run eight other community managed libraries in Staffordshire for more than five years, winning awards for its good work in the process, and I’m sure it will maintain the community spirit at Rising Brook and build on what has gone before.”

MPFT currently manages community libraries at Barton, Baswich, Brewood, Glascote, Heath Hayes, Hednesford, Holmcroft and Norton Canes.

In 2019, the Trust won the Health Service Journal’s annual Health and Local Government Partnership Award for its innovative approach to supporting people through its work in community libraries.

Mark Cardwell, MPFT’s Deputy Director for Adult Social Care, said: “We continue to be proud of the partnership arrangements for our Community Managed Libraries (CMLs) and receive many plaudits from our Board of Directors.

“I am always thrilled to see the libraries embarking on new initiatives and maintaining enthusiasm for recurrent opportunities such as the Summer Reading Challenge and we applaud the dedicated volunteers who make this all happen.

“Benefits gained from delivering the CMLs have included enhanced social inclusive activities for service users, enhanced profile for MPFT in local communities, greater opportunities for partnership work, mobile working opportunities for staff to support people closer to where they live, Wellbeing and Recovery college venues for course delivery and enhanced capacity for meeting rooms and interview spaces.

“MPFT is committed to the CML programme going forward and is keen to add to the existing CML portfolio.”

The library is one of 27 Community Managed Libraries in Staffordshire, in which the management and day-to-day running is taken on by a community group, while the authority remains responsible for providing stock and IT and paying agreed utility and maintenance costs.

As well as MPFT, successful management groups include a Business Enterprise Group, two Rotary Clubs and many bodies formed from local communities including in Cheadle, Shenstone and Blythe Bridge.

Victoria Wilson added: “Our community managed libraries keep evolving and now deliver, or soon will, everything from electric car hire and charging points, zero carbon initiatives and telephone ‘buddy’ services for the isolated, to ‘knit and natter’ groups, Baby Bounce and Rhyme sessions and take part in the Places of Welcome scheme.

“Many of them used their network of contacts to support the vulnerable and the isolated during the pandemic and they are firmly established at the heart of their communities.”