On Wednesday 3rd April, we were back at St Cecilia’s Club for our latest project update event. Our last event in the summer was a chance to meet our design team from OMI Architects; this time it was to meet our contractors, family-run business H.H. Smith & Sons, who started consruction work on The Old Library this week.

Chris, Rob & Juan from The Old Library project team at Smith’s talked us through some of the previous heritage restoration jobs they’ve worked on across the north of the country, including Gorton Monastery, Norton Priory and Quarry Bank Mill. With some really amazing projects under their belt, we’re thrilled to have them working on The Old Library and know we’re in safe hands. We’ll be working closely with the team to provide a number of community open days throughout the project for people to come and see the progress of the build, as well as numerous training opportunities for local people such as bursary placements, apprenticeships, technical training days and school & university visits.

We also heard from some of our fabulous research volunteers about what they’ve discovered whilst looking into the history of The Old Library and Liverpool’s public library movement. Here’s an extract from Kate’s talk about how sometimes things in the libraries could get a bit out of hand…

One bit of archive I came across encapsulated the excitement experienced in the community with the opening of a Branch Library. The Libraries Annual Report ,1903 describes the hubbub and general mayhem when Toxteth Library first opened its doors. Boys played leapfrog in the Reading Rooms and women chattered boisterously and things got so out of hand, that in the end the local constable had to be called for! Though we are told in the same report that the community soon settled down into, “excellent and steady readers” so we can see that from its inception the library would have been central to the community.

Olivia also ran through some of the exciting events & activities to look forward to over the next 6 months including:

-    Read & Relax shared reading group, every Wednesday from 2pm – 4pm at The Ale House on Prescot Road
-    Community Business Open Day on Saturday 18th May
-    The Big Dig archaeological investigation on Saturday 15th June
-    Lister Steps Summer Fair on Saturday 10th August
-    Heritage Open Days tours of The Old Library on Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th September

Keep an eye on our ‘Events & Activities’ page for more details or email olivia.johnson@listersteps.co.uk to get involved.

As always, thanks to everyone for your continued support for The Old Library project – it’s going to be a very exciting year!

We received some really lovely entries this month for our theme of 'Shadows' but we could only choose one winner... so congratulations to Eram Faroq, who captured the theme in this photograph of two people enjoying an autumn walk. Eram’s photograph will feature in our 2020 calendar and be considered as a potential overall winner at the end of the year, with a chance to win a camera. You can see more of the great entries we received this month in our gallery below.

Today is a really big day for The Old Library project. After a lot of hard work (7 years, in fact!) we have handed over the keys to our contractors, H. H. Smith & Sons, who officially start working on site today. We’re so excited to have reached this milestone and can’t wait to watch the building come back to life over the next 12 months so watch this space regular updates.

The project team from H.H. Smith’s will be meeting the local community at our project update event on Wednesday 3rd April at St Cecilia’s Club on Green Lane. Join us for a free drink from 6pm-8pm to hear all about what you can expect throughout the building phase of the project, as well as what our volunteer research team have been up to and the events & activities we’ve got coming up.  

If you can’t make it, you can read all about the start of the project in our press release.

Congratulations to Jane Davies who is this month's winner! Our theme for February was 'Change' and we liked how this photograph of the Liverpool Loop Line, taken between West Derby & Knotty Ash, captures the change in use of the local environment. The Loop Line is an old railway track which has been converted into a walking and cycling route throughout Liverpool; a great example of turning something historic and out of use into a positive resource in our community, much like our aim for The Old Library!

Check out the winning photo, plus some of the other great entries in our gallery below.

Jane's shot will feature in our 2020 calendar and be considered alongside the other monthly winners at the end of the year for the chance to win a camera. Next month's theme is 'Shadows' so send us your entries from L13 and the surrounding areas by 25th March to get involved!

We’ve got loads of great photography-based activities going on this year thanks to our friends at Periscope CiC and on Saturday 2nd February, we kicked off with our community photography workshop. Ten brave souls came along despite the freezing temperatures and it was great to meet some new friends, as well as catching up a few familiar faces.

The day started with Jon & Vicky from Periscope sharing their top tips on how to look for the unusual within the everyday by playing with angles, shadows, textures and different perspectives. They explained that it doesn’t matter what kind of camera you have, you can create really interesting photographs by looking for these things, even just using your phone! Once we were all set up with cameras, we set off towards Newsham Park with a list of things to look for (take a photo with parallel lines, take a photo of something broken, take a photo of a letter in the alphabet).

However, the lists were soon abandoned as everyone got into the swing of things, snapping away in the sunny conditions which gave us some great light to work with. With the railway, park, lake, skate park and the old orphanage all on our doorstep, we weren’t short of inspiration and had a great range of things to shoot from the natural environment to architecture and man-made structures. After an hour and a half taking photographs, we headed back to Lister Steps to warm up.

Then it was time for everyone to pick their favourite photographs and to share them with the group. There were some fantastic results with so many different and interesting shots from the group – some of which you can take a look at in our gallery below.

It was a really enjoyable day and I think everyone was surprised at how much there is to notice around our local area when you start to look closely. It was also a great start for our 2019 photography competition which kicks off this week. We’re looking forward to seeing more of the amazing photos of our area that people across our community come up with this year! 

Last week we were joined by thirteen volunteers, some old friends and some new faces from across the city, to kick off our local history research project. We’re really interested in learning more about the history of The Old Library & our local area by building up a picture of how it’s changed over the years using historic research and people’s memories of living in Tuebrook.  What we discover will generate community heritage activities, help us plan our archaeological dig, inform the historic displays inside the finished building and hopefully produce a local history book by the end of the project.

We ran two training days for our volunteers with Vanessa and colleagues from the Museum of Liverpool. On the first day we got together at Amber House on Green Lane, where we had a great view of The Old Library next door through the meeting room window, to start talking about the different topics people were interested in researching. Having such a big group is great as it means we can look into lots of different aspects of our local heritage over the next few months.

We also started looking at historic maps from the 1890s right up to present day to see how the landscape has changed over time. There’s definitely some interesting work to be done here and we’re keen to find out about things like street names, buildings that have appeared or disappeared and the people living in neighbouring roads who might have used the library over the years.

Our second training day kicked off at Central Library where we were given a fantastic tour by Roger who showed us all the different resources we can use such as maps, newspapers, census data and online databases – we were really impressed to have such an amazing facility in our city! We also saw behind the scenes of the archives rooms and Roger had kindly found some historic documents and photos relating to the library which we’ll be back to take a closer look at.

We then walked down to the Museum of Liverpool where Vanessa showed us some of the finds from the Pembroke Place archaeological dig before Liz Stewart, Curator of Archaeology & the Built Environment, gave us a tour of the Museum to explain how a combination of archaeological exploration has developed what’s on display in the museum. 

Finally, we looked round the Galkoff’s exhibition which is the culmination of a two year project involving almost 70 research volunteers. Although our display in The Old Library probably won’t be quite the same scale, it was really inspiring to hear about all the fascinating stories the volunteers had uncovered through their work and got us really excited for our own project.

Over the next few months, our volunteer team will start looking into their chosen topics and we’ll be meeting up again in February to see what we’ve learnt so far so watch this space for updates – who knows what we might find!

From 3rd-9th December, National Lottery players enjoyed free entry to a range of sites across the country to celebrate their support for Lottery funded projects. Although we can't open our doors just yet, we made this video to give you a sneak peek inside The Old Library and say thank you on behalf of all the people who will benefit from it.

#ThanksToYou we can bring this amazing building back to life in our community.

Wednesday 5th December was International Volunteer Day and we celebrated with some of our amazing volunteers over tea and cake. As we approach the end of the year, we wanted to look back and say thank you for all the help we’ve received in 2018:

•    Since June, we’ve received almost 200 hours in voluntary help and 20 new people have supported The Old Library project through activities such as clearing The Old Library grounds, recording graffiti on the back of the building & promoting the project at various events.

•    We also have five trustees who help to look after Lister Steps all year round, with two more applicant trustees in the pipeline. Two of our trustees have been with Lister Steps since the very start and have given so much in terms of their expertise and undying commitment.

•    One of our childcare volunteers, Victoria, has been with us for 17 years and was presented with an award last year to celebrate her amazing commitment and work ethic. We’re proud to welcome volunteers with all abilities and partner with North West Community services to allow adults with additional needs opportunities to gain valuable work experience.

•    With our volunteers’ help, we’ve reached almost 500 people through our project events & activities throughout 2018.

Construction work is due to start early next year and we’re looking forward to welcoming new faces to our volunteer team, helping us to reach more people in our local community and spreading the word about how everyone can get involved with The Old Library project.

If you’re looking for a new challenge in 2019 or want to meet new people and learn new skills, keep an eye on our volunteering page for opportunities throughout the year!

We were recently shortlisted in the Marks & Spencer and Power to Change Liverpool Community Business Challenge. Our Project Champion volunteer Andrew describes what happened at the celebration event held at The Florrie on 1st November. 

The autumn sun was shining, deflecting yellows and reds from the leaves, some still clinging on to their life source, others now forming part of an annual natural carpet, yet it was a crisp morning as the Lister Steps delegation, led by the tireless Gaynor Williams, set off en route to the Florrie. Supported by trustees Gayle and Julie, Lister Steps management in the form of Chris and Michelle, and our volunteer Champions, Azuka and Andrew, there was a strong supporting cast aiming to win financial and business support to take the Lister Steps brand forward to a bigger, brighter and better future.

As each shortlisted group began literally to set out their stall, two things became apparent: Firstly, there was an air of mutual respect and shared pride between seven hardworking groups, different branches of the same tree, one of support and community in Liverpool. Secondly, it was clear that the competition was very, very strong.

As the atmosphere grew, representatives from Power to Change and M&S, along with members of the public, quizzed each group on their goals and progress. There was a growing buzz inside the amazing space of the Florrie hall as the Lister Steps representatives engaged with all comers, explaining the plans to leave the portacabins behind and expand into the old library site to continue to provide excellent childcare services but also to reach out to the whole community of all ages.

Then it was time for the formalities. Once the introductory speeches, surely designed to heighten the tension, were out of the way, each organisation presented their pitch. And what a variety we were treated to: Song, beer, history and even pies all found a place as the groups put their best foot forward. And so, it came to Gaynor. Clear, precise and concise, highlighting the positive lasting effect Lister Steps has had on parents and children alike throughout its history, Gaynor made a very strong case for the Lister Steps brand and the plans for re-modelling that brand as we enter a new era.

The pause for lunch, courtesy of M&S, was a last chance for best wishes to be shared around the room, and to try to hide the nerves however possible. Our work was done, and the almost impossible decision now lay in the hands of the judges. Out of the shortlisted 7, only 5 would were to be chosen. Just 2 of the finalists would be leaving empty-handed.

The task of announcing the results befell Vidhya Alakeson, Chief Executive of Power to Change, and Chair of the judging panel. Glasses of fizz were handed round in anticipation of a, hopefully, triumphant toast. The gym fell silent as we all held our breath. Vidhya began to speak, the tension reached its crescendo, she confessed to underestimating the level of the finalists. Then, to the surprise and delight of all present, she announced the panel had decided it had to break its own rules and reward all 7 groups with £10,000 and invaluable business support. Everyone’s a winner! A fair decision and one which we all celebrated as one. Congratulations all round and many happy faces as official, and some unofficial, photos were taken.

It was a great day, and an honour to share the room with so many inspiring people. All the branches of that community tree grew a little more today, some inter-twining, but all rising from the same roots, from the earth in Liverpool, and our common spirit to support others. As we set off back to base and towards the setting late afternoon sun, it was impossible not to feel proud of Lister Steps, The Old Library Project, Gaynor, Olivia, and all those involved, safe in the knowledge that what we are doing is great, and we are doing it well.

“Today’s showcase event has provided a real insight into the collaborative, creative projects with people at their heart that exist in Liverpool. The visible way in which the community businesses have supported each other through the whole programme reaffirmed that they were all winners and incredible assets to Liverpool.” Vidhya Alakeson, Chief Executive of Power to Change.

The Community Business programme has been piloted in the Liverpool City Region in 2018, as part of M&S’s Community Transformation Programme, in collaboration with Power to Change. The retailer is currently trialling a range of actions in Liverpool to help tackle the issues that matter most to communities – such as unemployment, skill shortages, loneliness, mental health and wellbeing.

The theme for this year’s National Poetry Day was ‘Change’ so it seemed fitting to celebrate by thinking about the changes ahead on The Old Library project. We partnered up with Pauline Rowe from North End Writers to run workshops for the Year 4 and 5 classes at one of our local schools, St Anne Stanley. Alongside working on well-being projects with North End Writers, Pauline is Writer-in-Residence at The Open Eye Gallery and Poet-in-Residence at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust so we were thrilled to have her help on this project.

Each session was different which gave us the chance to explore lots of ideas with the children. Our first year 4 class closed their eyes to read a poem about The Old Library which Pauline had written especially for them. The children wrote down the pictures that had come to mind in their imagination whilst listening to the poem and Pauline joined these ideas together to make a wonderful class poem about the spirit of The Old Library.

Our second year 4 class thought about the theme of change and how things change all around them in their everyday lives, using their ideas to create acrostic poems. When it came to the group poem, there was a 50/50 vote for whether we should write a rhyming poem or a free-verse poem…so we came up with both! The class looked to the future with rhymes about what they’ll do in The Old Library and similes to describe how the new building will make them feel. 

Gaynor and Olivia had visited the year 5 classes to talk about The Old Library project last year so they knew all about our plans. With one class, we looked back in time and used a photograph of Lister School students in 1934 to imagine life when the library was open. Their poems explored how the new building will have changed and what those children might think if they could visit The Old Library in 2020. Our final year 5 class came up with the idea of using personification to think about the library and came up with ideas about how the building might feel since it was closed down. We combined all their ideas together to create an atmospheric group poem that reflects on The Old Library in its current state.

It was jam-packed day and each session was different, with lots of interesting and thoughtful ideas from the children. A big thank you to Pauline who did an excellent job of proving that everyone can be a poet just by using their imagination and words to express themselves. It was a great way to celebrate National Poetry Day and we’ve come away with so many wonderful creations from the children which we hope to use in imaginative ways throughout the project.

Thanks to Miss Prior in Year 4 for helping us organise the day and we’re looking forward to doing more with St Anne Stanley in the future. If you know another local school that would be interested in The Old Library project activities, please email olivia.johnson@listersteps.co.uk – we’d love to get you involved.