Linlithgow's former library is now a hive of industry

Many groups in the town use the EH49 Hub for meetings and events.

However, it has also become home to an army of volunteers who are eager to roll up their sleeves and get down to some hard graft.

For one section of the building contains the Linlithgow Shed, Tool Library and Repair Shop.

Together, the three services are now working in complete harmony three times a week – Mondays and Fridays from 9am to 12.30pm and Tuesdays from 5pm to 7pm.

At each session you’ll find Shed volunteers working on a range of projects – from community initiatives to their own projects to commission jobs.

Repair Shop volunteers are also kept busy with clients popping in to discover if their treasured items can be restored to full working order and saved from the landfill.

The Tool Library’s volunteers are always kept busy too, with more than 300 items in their inventory to loan out. With 400 locals now signed up as members – paying £25 in the first year and £20 every year thereafter – there’s never a quiet moment.

And that membership fee is a small price to pay when you see the range of tools you can borrow and return.

With everything from lawnmowers to pressure washers, drills to sanders and even a thermal imaging camera to detect heat loss in homes, it’s an incredible resource if you don’t want to fork out for equipment for a one-off job.

However, it wasn’t tools that drew me in last Friday; being a bargain hunter, I’d spotted a dinky upcycled corner display unit, priced at just £10, which I quickly laid claim to.

I'm still pondering if there's space in the garden for the wishing well plant container one of the Shed volunteers was busy crafting! Anyway, enough of my shopping habits...

I was warmly welcomed by volunteers Ron Gammie and David Wilson who talked me through the many enterprises to be found under the old library's roof.

Ron is one of the older hands, having volunteered since the early days of the Shed in 2022; David is a newer recruit to the Repair Shop, getting involved four months ago after his son Tom (28), who has special needs, started volunteering at the Shed and loved it.

There are around 30 volunteers who work between the three services – some solely in the Repair Shop, others in the Community Shed – which, while based on the Men’s Shed model, is open to all – and also pitching in with the Tool Library hires and returns.

As well as offering members a place to meet up and learn new skills, together this merry band of, mainly retired, volunteers do a power of work to help others.

From assisting Burgh Beautiful with floral display stands to helping school children build bird boxes, the Shed volunteers are never idle for long. And with a good mix of expert skills, those with little experience who want to learn are quickly clued up too.

Ron said: “We take on a wide range of projects – from helping community groups to orders from customers to members’ own projects.

“We had a wishing well in the window that we tried to hire out from the tool library for charity events; it never took off but when we put it up for sale, people were desperate to get their hands on it! We’ve now got a few orders for wishing wells coming in.

“One of our members also made wooden reindeers at Christmas that went down really well and we’ve just had a commission from a student to make wooden mushrooms for a project she's working on.

“We upcycle items that we find online for free or that people donate – all of that helps us with the running costs. The Tool Library also receives a lot of donations which we either refurbish and hire out or, if we already have enough, sell on to customers.”

For David, there’s great satisfaction in repairing items for customers.

He said: “It's just like the repair shop on TV – people can get quite emotional when their items are restored to perfect working order again. It definitely makes you feel good.”

Sourcing old parts is an issue but, with the support of local businesses, volunteers are often able to find just what they need.

Ron added: “We had one lady who got a Kenwood Mixer when she was 17; it was a year older than me but we managed to repair it. She was so delighted she baked us all a cake.”

Repair Shop volunteers will look at almost anything you can carry – other than petrol-powered tools and microwaves – with everything from clothes to TVs tackled for free, unless parts are required. Donations to keep the service going are also warmly welcomed.

It’s evident the volunteers love what they do so if you’ve got a project you’d like them to tackle, don't be afraid to drop in – you’re guaranteed a warm welcome!

To find out more, visit https://trust-linlithgow.org.uk or to volunteer or enquire about a repair email [email protected].