Hawkinge residents ‘love’ Little Library unit

Residents of Hawkinge have come together to show love for the ‘Hawkinge Little Library’ set up by locals.

Liz Bailey first set up the ‘Little Library’ by posting on Facebook on 30th November that books would be available for free outside her home.

The Little Library became popular with locals and people began commenting on Facebook saying what a fantastic idea it was and donating books to the Little Library. The Little Library has been a success and has provided a sense of community and normality during the pandemic whilst clubs, activities and businesses had to close.

Jess Humphries, another Hawkinge resident, recently took over the Little Library, as she saw how many people were enjoying visiting. She said: “I thought it would be a shame for Hawkinge to lose this small pleasure when we are already restricted on amenities in the area.”

Jess Humphries lives with her partner and one-year-old son and has lived in Hawkinge for the past five years. She has loved to read since a young age and loves to hear different people’s stories. She said: “I hope this venture can encourage everyone to give it a go and enable people to ‘swap’ books without needing to buy a new one.”

The Little Library now has a new unit which was donated. The idea started with a handful of books, however, Mrs Humphries said she thinks they now have approximately 200 books waiting to be read by the community.