Usborne book gives nine boxes of books and puzzles to community-run reading room

A community run “pop-up” library has benefited from generous donations from a leading publisher and a charity.

Children and volunteers from Barham pop-up library in Danethorpe Road, Wembley, were given nine boxes of books, games and puzzles, courtesy of leading publishers Usborne Books.

In addition, they were also handed 40 boxes of books from Healthy Planet.

The gestures have boosted the library’s stock of new books for all age-groups. The books from Healthy Planet are ex-library books from across the UK and will now be shared out among similar library campaigns in the borough.

More than 50 people have already signed up to the community facility, opened last month in protest at the council’s decision to close Barham Library in Harrow Road, alongside five other reading rooms.

Francis Henry of the Friends of Barham Library campaign, said: “Their fantastic books mean that our Volunteer Library can offer even more choice to the young people who lost out when Brent Council closed Barham Park Library.”

The move to permanently close down Barham, Cricklewood, Kensal Rise, Neasden, Tokyngton and Preston libraries will save the local authority �1m.

Barham Volunteer Library currently operates from an old nursery building at Barham Primary School every Saturday between 11am and 2pm until the end of July.

Membership is free.