Campaigners who fought tirelessly to have a library once more in their community are close to victory, but they need your help.

Friends of Preston Library, which formed after the Carlton Avenue East library closed along with five others in October 2011 , are understood to have an agreement with the authority’s Labour administration for them to reopen the building as both a library and community centre.

The building is currently being used by the council as a temporary classroom for children while their school is being expanded , however by summer next year when they move back to their school’s main site, it is hoped that a volunteer-led project would see the building operating as a library once again.

Chairman of the Friends group Philip Bromberg, 55, of Wembley, said: “It has been a tough journey for a lot of our campaigners who have worked so hard for us.

“There have been rows, demonstrations, legal cases – it really has been a hard fought campaign but we are close now to what we all want which is a positive outcome.

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“When we hold events around the community, we always see new faces coming up to use telling us how much they miss having a library available to them.

“Before the election, there was an offer from the council for something like this to happen, and now it is at a much more formal stage and Councillor James Denslow who we have been dealing with is really enthusiastic.”

The campaigners now need to present a business case to the council to formally showcase their plans and prove that they could run it in a viable fashion.

It is understood that the only condition for the council in giving the Friends group the building rent free would be that it may be required in the future for usage as a temporary classroom, however it is hoped that that will not be necessary.

More volunteers will be needed however, should the community library become a reality.

Mr Bromberg, who works as a gardener, said: “This would be a really special place, but we know it will take a lot of people to make it happen.

“We are going to need volunteers with special skills, who are perhaps able to run some of the classes that we are hoping to do, or with some plumbing and building skills – it’s going to be a team effort, and in going to the council with this plan we need to show that there’s that willingness from the community to make it happen.”

If you’re interested in helping the community library project, call Samantha Warrington on 07801 697712 or email PrestonCommunityLibrary@gmail.com