The Winch, a charity based in north Camden, received the Community Heritage Award at this year’s Locality Awards for its work transforming Belsize Community Library into a thriving neighbourhood hub.
Rashid Iqbal, CEO at The Winch, said: “We couldn’t be prouder of the work we’ve done with the library.
“This award is a testament to the dedication of our team, volunteers, and the whole community who make Belsize Community Library such a loved and treasured local place.”
The award, supported by Historic England, celebrates the reuse of heritage buildings for community good.
Built in 1937, Belsize Community Library is an example of inter-war architectural design and was saved from closure by The Winch in 2012.
Today, the library supports around 10,000 visits a year and is open to the public three days a week.
It functions as both a library and a community centre, hosting baby classes, martial arts, crafts, and resident-curated collections of Hong Kong and Ukrainian books.
The Winch will run a match-funded Christmas campaign to support families living in temporary accommodation, with donations doubled during the fundraising period.
