Residents to hammer down on home improvements with new Council-run library

It is now possible for people in Swindon to borrow DIY and gardening equipment thanks to a new library offered by Swindon Borough Council’s Housing team.

Working in partnership with Enterprise Works, a timber and fencing supplier committed to providing supported employment to adults with learning difficulties, and the Tenant Academy, the Council’s new Library of Things service allows housing tenants and residents to borrow useful items for their home. The new service enables residents to carry out home improvements and maintenance without needing to buy expensive equipment.

Successfully trialled by other local authorities, Library of Things’ has been launched alongside a programme operated by the Council-run Housing Tenant Academy to offer a series of DIY courses. These sessions allow council house tenants to learn how to carry out their own minor repair work. By completing the courses, tenants can learn how to fix basic plumbing jobs, hang up pictures, carry out woodwork tasks, strip and hang up wallpaper, and more.

Offered on a first come, first service basis, items available through The Library of Things include drills, lawn mowers, spades, slow cookers and even cake tins. Borrowing rather than buying can help people save money, space, and even reduce clutter.

The process for accessing the service is simple. Residents can sign up, browse and reserve items online, then head into Enterprise Works (SN2 8DT) to pick up and return items when they are done with them. During the initial rollout, the number of items available will be limited.

Councillor Janine Howarth, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “We do not want finances to be a barrier to local people being able to carry out work to improve their homes. That’s why we are running special DIY courses for our tenants, and making the Library of Things available to people across Swindon.

“By providing these resources, we are giving residents the opportunity to meet their neighbours, get involved with local projects and learn new skills.

“We are on a mission to build a better, fairer, and greener, Swindon. This work will give more people opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to access while also enabling local homes to be more sustainably managed. By having access to the resources they need, when they need them, residents can also reduce unnecessary waste.

“I’d encourage all our tenants who are interested to sign up for a DIY course and I am excited to see the improvements local people are able to make to their homes, as a result of these new opportunities.”.