Louth community room’s future is secured

Eileen Ballard, who has been involved in running the community space above Louth Library for the last three decades, told the Leader that the library staff will be taking over the day-to-day management of the room.

In a letter to hirers, Eileen said: “I write to inform you that as of June 10, the ConocoPhillips room will come under the auspices of Louth Library, who will continue to hire out the room within the same remit as has been the case for the last 30 years.

“I, along with Sue Smith, had a meeting with Nicola Rogers, library partnership manager, and Karen Waring, Louth library manager, this week about the way forward in respect of the Conoco Phillips Room.

“The impact of Covid 19, its consequent lockdowns, has affected us all in numerous ways, not least the management of ConocoPhillips room.

“We, the management committee, have found that the conditions that now must be put in place and the extra costs that this would incur makes our running of the room financially unviable.

“However, Nicola Rogers has assured us that GLL [Greenwich Leisure Limited] would be able to absorb these costs and enable the room to continue to be a fantastic community room for the people of Louth.”

Eileen’s letter continues: “I, personally, have been involved with the room for 31 years. When I became a member of the original ‘working management committee’ which was set up to oversee the ‘birth’ of the community room, resulting from a £60,000 gift from Conoco, specifically for a community room to be built within the proposed new Louth Library.

“The library, with its community room was officially opened on Tuesday October 29, 1991, by the chairman of Lincolnshire County Council.

“Sue Smith has been our faithful secretary since 1997, recording and keeping our minutes and documents in good order for 24 years.

“We have, over all the room’s operational years, welcomed representatives of your societies/associations to serve on the committee, keeping us abreast of the needs and requirements of you all.

“We are indebted to the conscientious and faithful library staff who have been the face of the management committee, taking the bookings, answering queries, sorting out problems, all with a professionalism, second to none.

“Our caretakers, Basil Dixon, and Andrew Dunn, have also been an invaluable part of the life of the room, setting up and dismantling the furniture for the specific needs of you all, and being present whilst the room was in use making sure that you and the library were secure.

“As you will be aware, active bookings have not been able to be made as we await the next step of the Government roadmap to see what is allowed, (or not as the case may be), and when LCC will allow the room to be hired.

“In the interim, Nicola Rogers asks you to contact Karen Waring to express your interest in using the room and when they can open, Karen will contact you with specific details and start the ‘ball rolling’ again.”

Eileen concluded: “I would like to finish this rather long letter by thanking you all for your continued patronage over the years and wish you many more years of enjoyment in the Conoco Phillips room.”