Earls Barton garage sale library fundraiser helping to balance the books

A community-run village library has received a boost to its funds by eager bargain hunters and residents selling their pre-loved items.

Usually held annually, the Earls Barton village yard sale has been a popular way for householders to snap up a bargain and help local charities.

This year many people used lockdown to declutter their houses, using the day to sell off their unwanted treasures and donate their pitch fee to Earls Barton Library and Community Centre.

Organisers of the sale, Polly Hadman from The Saxon Tavern, Joyce McVeigh and Carol Labrum collected the fees, and arranged the advertising, printing and distribution of the treasure maps.

Cally Palôt-Watts, founder the Friends of Earls Barton Library, said: "The Earls Barton Library and Community Centre would like to extend their grateful thanks to Polly, Carol and Joyce for deciding on them to be the recipients of this year’s cash, and to all of the people who took part.

"Despite the library providing a delivery service throughout the lockdown period and it re-opening at the first available opportunity, they are still unable to offer their usual daily group activities and donations have fallen as a result.

"This incredible amount from the Yard Sale is, thus, especially welcome this year and will be put towards the extension which the library hope to be able to build to provide much needed storage for the future – whatever that may look like."

The popular yard sale charged £5 per stall and maps showing their locations across the village were sold for £1.

Each year the money raised from map sales and stall fees is donated to a charity in, or linked closely to, the village.

At least 100 stalls took part in the day and bargain hunters raised a total of £690 that was presented to Earls Barton Library and Community Centre's Geoff and Sue Adams today (Wednesday, September 16).

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