Deepings Community Library in Market Deeping gets £5,000 from Persimmon Homes that will be used to improve the teenage section of the library

A community library has won £5,000 which will be spent on enticing teenagers in to use its free resources.

Deepings Community Library in High Street, Market Deeping, scooped the prize money from Persimmon Homes’ Building Futures campaign that gives away cash to organisations supporting under 18s.

Library manager Louisa Crowson had outlined a wish to update the teenage section of the library which has been ‘looking rather tired’.

She said: “We’re really pleased and grateful for the money.

“I’ve already made contact with the Deepings Youth Group to talk about forming a focus group.

“We’re also going to speak to our Duke of Edinburgh volunteers who help us out on Saturday mornings and get their views.

“Unless your an avid reader or your parents are avid readers, young people tend to start falling away from using the library at the end of primary school and secondary school.

“We cater a lot for the under eights but we want to do more for tweens and teenagers from the ages of 10/11 upwards and into Key Stage Three.

“We want to put on ICT classes for this group - coding which is really big now and creative writing online.

“Our main focus though is the whole teenage area of the library.

“I’ve got a teenager so I know what they want and don’t want.

“What they don’t like is lots of people walking through and disturbing them which is what we’ve got right now.

“We’re going to screen it off, get some new books which they would want to read and put in some comfortable seating.

“If they want to come and do their homework or just come in for a bit of peace and quiet, then they will also be able to do that.”

Nick Phillips, managing director for Persimmon Homes East Midlands, said: “The Building Futures scheme has been a great success and we had a brilliant evening at York Racecourse celebrating the fantastic work of so many organisations supporting young people in our communities.

“We have been overwhelmed by both the response to the competition, and the hard work and dedication of those involved within all the groups.”

The Deepings Community Library was up against 95 other organisations, with three finalists awarded a top prize of £100,000, three taking second prize of £50,000 and another three winning the third prize of £20,000.

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