‘It makes me heartbroken to think that children will miss out on an opportunity to read and explore new books and stories in a community space which is meant to be safe for them and their families’
A library and community hub in Liverpool, which was torched by far-right thugs has raised more than £115,000 in just a matter of hours, to carry out repairs after it was left destroyed by fire damage on Saturday night.
Far-right rioters descended onto the streets of the Liverpool suburb of Walton on the weekend, setting buildings alight and attacking police.
Among the buildings targeted was the Spellow Hub Library, with pictures showing bookshelves thrown on their sides, shattered computers and burnt children’s books.
Alex McCormick, 27, who lives in Liverpool, was horrified at what had happened to the library, and launched a fundraiser to help pay for repairs with an initial target of £500, however it raised more than £115k in just 48 hours.
The fundraiser states: “Our city is a sad place at the minute, much like the rest of the country. But it makes me heartbroken to think that children will miss out on an opportunity to read and explore new books and stories in a community space which is meant to be safe for them and their families, especially over the summer holidays.
“I’d like to fundraise for the Spellow Library, to hopefully replenish some of the books which were damaged in last nights mindless riots, and repair the space for those who need and use it the most.”
McCormick, a 27-year-old manicurist told the Guardian: “I always loved to read as a child and seeing a library and community space destroyed broke my heart.
“I felt helpless and wanted to do something to help and thought fundraising would be a nice way to replace some of the books lost in the fire”.
Nigella Lawson and children’s laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce are among those who have donated to the gofundme page, which was set up on Sunday afternoon in aid of Spellow Hub library.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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