A new library and community space has opened on Farthing Grove in Netherfield to benefit residents in Woughton ward, as part of the legacy of former Labour councillor and  Milton Keynes Council Leader Kevin Wilson.

The library features a children’s reading corner and hundreds of physical titles to browse, as well as offering residents the opportunity to reserve any book from MK’s vast library service and have it delivered to Netherfield.  

In addition, its modular shelving means the whole layout can be changed in seconds to create a flexible community space. Weekly Job Club sessions will provide help to people searching for work alongside key interview skills and training.  Other clubs and local groups will also have access to the space.

Woughton Community Council worked with MK Council to bring the new library to the area, and the Labour-led MK Council contributed £80,000 towards the project.

The library’s opening has been welcomed by Woughton & Fishermead ward councillors.

Councillor Amber McQuillan said: “Kevin Wilson was Woughton’s biggest champion. It was with great sadness that we lost him and this library is part of the extensive legacy he leaves Woughton and the whole city. He campaigned to get this library for all the children and families in Woughton.”

Councillor Donna Fuller, who is also Leader of Woughton Community Council, said: “As a local councillor and Leader of Woughton Community Council, I am pleased we have been able to work together to make Kevin’s dream a reality. It is just as he would have wanted us to do.”

Councillor Carole Baume said: “Kevin Wilson was a teacher and knew the impact a library could have on children’s dreams and aspirations. He brought those values to the heart of the MK Labour group and we have been building new and expanding libraries in MK despite over a decade of Tory austerity.”  

Woughton Library is the tenth library in Milton Keynes. All Milton Keynes libraries provide an open door to anyone seeking information, access to IT facilities or a space to study and meet. To learn more about MK’s libraries, please visit: www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/libraries