Another ONECAN community project takes off
Most tools we need only for a short time or for a particular project and they can often be expensive to buy or hire.
A Community Tool Library means you can borrow tools for your home and projects and return them for someone else to borrow.
Affordable, convenient, less clutter and kinder to the planet.
ONECAN launched a Tool Library Survey in April/May and the results showed overwhelming community support for the idea.
The people who completed the survey and offered to help with setting up the Tool Library were invited to a first meeting of the ONECAN Tool Library Group, in May, and began to plan how to set up and manage the Tool Library in Carluke.
At the first meeting the group discussed many aspects of running a successful Tool Library, e.g. which tools the community might want to borrow, sourcing tools, PAT testing, cataloguing and preparing tools for borrowing, membership, software used for booking online, repair and maintenance, funding, volunteers and skills needed to manage the library.
The group established that the ONECAN Tool Library will be based in the High Mill Community Growing and Learning Garden where storage and accommodation has been identified. A number of tools, donated from one business, have already been collected and members of the group will contact local residents and businesses who have also kindly offered to donate tools.
It was decided that we will contact and visit established Tool Libraries in Scotland to learn from their experiences and bring these ideas back for discussion at the next meeting of the ONECAN Tool Library group in June.
Although at an early stage, we hope that, with the enthusiastic support of the community volunteers we will make rapid progress towards opening up the ONECAN Tool Library.
Soon we will be launching a Parish-wide appeal for tool donations and volunteers to help with setting up and running the library.
If you think you might enjoy being part of this exciting project, please get in touch with Fiona (fiona.muir@onecan.org.uk)
