A WEST Somerset village’s public library has taken its unofficial community focal point status a step further by setting up a café and community hub area.

The Thomas Poole Library, in Castle Street, Nether-Stowey, is named after the 18th century businessman and philanthropist who built it as a school for the underprivileged of the area.

It has been managed by volunteers as a charitable trust since then-Somerset County Council tried to close it in 2019.

A spokesperson said the library for many years had acted as an unofficial community hub, and now books had been rearranged and moved, and the building’s second largest room had become a café and community hub area.

They said: “This room was already in use by the various groups including Knit and Natter and Dungeons and Dragons.

“We have set up a very easy to use self-service drinks/coffee/hot chocolate machine.

“We have three new café-style tables and we are looking at providing new seating when we can afford it.

“A selection of wrapped biscuits/cakes is also available and the café is open whenever the library is open.

“We are asking for donations to cover the cost of the drinks and biscuits, and we can only accept cash at the minute.

“We also have a great selection of books which are provided through our partnership with the Somerset Library Service.”

The library also hosts second-hand book sales, a chess club, a weekly story time session for babies and toddlers, pre-school children, ‘and their grown-ups’, and IT workshops.

Actor and singer/songwriter John Hartoch, now retired from his position as Bristol Old Vic Theatre School head of acting courses, will be among some of the library’s volunteers performing during a fund-raising evening of light-hearted song and grown-up stories on Monday, March 24, titled ‘A Grasshopper’s Journey through Time and Life’.