New lease of life for County Library HQ as Flintshire Foodbank set up warehouse distribution centre

Flintshire Foodbank is using the former Library Headquarters on the Civic Centre campus in Mold as a warehouse distribution centre for its six centres in the County.

It is being leased to the charity at a peppercorn rent for 12 months and will assist the Council in its overall rationalisation strategy by occupying a recently empty building which the Council would otherwise have to continue to run and manage.

The county reference library in the building moved to the Mold Town Centre library some time ago and other library support services which have been operating from there will also work from other sites.

Council Leader Aaron Shotton said:

“This has been a great opportunity to assist the Flintshire Foodbank with their excellent work around the county and at the same time make valuable savings for the Council at a time when finances are stretched. It is part of our strategy to rationalise Council owned buildings to see if we can do things in a more efficient and cost-effective way.’

Deputy Leader Bernie Attridge added:

“We have always been big supporters of the Flintshire Foodbank, already providing points in County Hall for people to leave donations. This latest initiative will, I hope, provide the charity with additional support to help them with the extremely valuable work they do in the community’

Pastor Andy Leake, Chair of Flintshire Foodbank said:

‘We are so grateful to Flintshire County Council for their amazing generosity in enabling the Flintshire Foodbank to use such a wonderful resource such as the Central Library building.

Serving 6 centres across Flintshire, the Foodbank network in the County has fed 18, 750 people since it opened in 2012. Each month over 500 people receive help from the Foodbank, and our operations have expanded.

The need for new premises was flagged up with the local Council, and we are thrilled to be opening this building to support the community, and to reduce the costs of the local Council. Over the next few months, we will be using this space to create a Regional hub for the Flintshire Foodbank.’

Caption: From left to right Neal Cockerton, Chief Officer Organisational Change, Councillor Shotton, Councillor Attridge, Andy and Sue Leake