A few short weeks ago we were all stunned, shocked and horrified to see violence and riots across many parts of England. The trouble started in Southport in the wake of the dreadful attacks on a group of children, and spread like wildfire.
My heart goes out to the families who lost their loved ones and to the community that bore the brunt of this shocking violence. The violence we witnessed laid bare a darkness to the world that children are growing up in.
At the heart of this community, a sanctuary of silence and peace, Spellow Library found itself at the epi-centre of the violence following the heartbreaking attacks.
The community was left devastated, and Spellow Library was left scarred, damaged and parts of the building were burnt down after hundreds of people rioted on the streets, leaving a wake of destruction.
I was saddened and horrified to hear about the extreme vandalism caused to the Spellow Hub Library. Liverpool means a lot to me, I have family members from the city and my first thought was how the local children and their families must have felt.
With this in mind, I was really pleased to be able to visit the library with the Children’s Laureate, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, last week for the first time in the aftermath of the violence and the amazing reconstruction.
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the community had pulled together to rebuild. They set out to raise £5,000 but ended up with an extraordinary £250,000.
Through an absolute tragedy, the local community must feel an incredible sense of pride in the recovery of Spellow Library.
They had seen the worst and then the best of humanity. With an abundance of generosity, compassion and a recognition of the value of institutions like Spellow Library. Places that lend books and change lives.
I wanted to speak to the children and families who used the many services at Spellow Library to understand the impact the recent disorder has had on the community – particularly the children and their families who rely on local services.
As part of my visit alongside the Children’s Laureate, I spoke to children of Arnot St Mary CoE Primary School who told us about how they use the Spellow Hub Library and its services, as well as their love for stories, reading and their favourite books.
Like me, many of the children were in sheer disbelief about the vandalism and couldn’t understand why anyone would want to damage the library. The children were adamant that the library should retain its Spellow name and would not be defined by the terrible violence they had witnessed in their community. It was evident just how eager the children were for the library to reopen.
During my visit I also met with Jenny Turnross, Liverpool Director of Children’s Service; Deborah Moore, Spellow Manager, Library and Information Services; Laura Orchard, Project Manager for Spellow Library and Arts Development, as well as many others involved in the restoration of Spellow Library.
It’s remarkable that in just under seven weeks the team have worked hard to rectify the fire and subsequent water damage, including a whole electrical rewire, to make the space safe again. The project has been dubbed the ‘Phoenix Project’, with the team now working on refitting furniture, technology and one stop shop.
I was also delighted to meet Alex McCormick, the community fundraiser, who was responsible for spearheading the incredible £250,000 for the library. We talked to her about her selfless work and the incredible donations, including from Frank Cottrell-Boyce. Alex personifies the incredible community response seen in the wake of the vandalism at Spellow Library.
Spellow Library is undoubtedly going to be the symbol that brings everyone together – it’s the phoenix rising from the ashes. It was fantastic to see all the work that has gone into the recovery of the site – there’s an incredible sense of community, and everyone should be so proud of what’s been achieved.
The most poignant comment made during my visit was from one of the young girls I spoke to, when I asked what she liked the most about the city of Liverpool she said like the song, you never walk alone. And that’s certainly true of the community around Spellow.
