The new store on East Street where you borrow things and don’t buy them

There’s a new addition to the retail offering on Bedminster’s East Street – but instead of coming to buy something, people will be borrowing it.

The library of things acts just like a regular book library, but instead of the latest Jilly Cooper novel, people borrow anything and everything from a jet washing machine to a carpet cleaner to a gazebo – all for a small monthly membership fee.

Charity Share Bristol has already set up one in Kingswood and the new Bedminster Thing Library is the first in the town.

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Actor and radio presenter Joe Sims was given the honor of declaring the new library open – but only agreed to do so if he was allowed to use a large pair of garden shears to cut the ceremonial ribbon. It turns out that garden shears aren’t the best tool in the Library of Things to use to cut a ribbon, but he finally cracked it and said that the principle of a library of things that most people need to using them only occasionally is a good idea.

“I like no mess around my house, and I like the idea that you can go in there and get a lawnmower, a leaf blower, whatever you need,” he said. “Your mother-in-law comes over and you have to make the place look tidy, so you have to get a vacuum cleaner or a pressure washer – they have all that stuff and you can borrow it and you can. borrow everything for less than a pound a week, it’s amazing.

“It’s good for the environment, it’s good for your bank balance and it’s good for the shed. It’s absolutely fantastic. It’s also good to see so many fantastic volunteers, giving up their time and making Bristol a better place, I’m all about it.

“It’s amazing, it really is – philanthropic, forward-footed, good, decent people in the community, putting together a project like this that will make such a difference to the South Bristol community,” he added.

Share Bristol administrator Anna Perry explained how the idea works. “What a stuff library is is a place where you can come and borrow everything you need to live your life, whether it’s camping equipment or DIY tools or gardening tools, join the charity and come and borrow,” she said.

“So we’re helping people afford the things they need, live their lives to the fullest, create community hubs on the High Street and it’s just going to be a nice place to come and volunteer. It’s a real community effort and a real community project,” she added.

Anna said that in addition to the donations of things to the library, they are looking for many more volunteers to help in the Library of Things – the more they receive, the more each week they will be able to open.

In addition to the “front-line” library staff who deal with members, they are also keen to recruit volunteers who are handy with tools. Every time something is borrowed and returned, it gets a bit of service, so people who are good at fixing things, doing odd jobs and maintenance are especially welcome, Anna explained.

“We hope that the Bedminster Thing Library will become the first place people think of when they need something around the house, garden or for a trip, but also become a real hub for the community – bringing people into the area. for a variety of activities centered on the exchange of things, resources and knowledge,” she explained.

“Share Bristol Bedminster already has around a few hundred things available and more are being added every week. Many people assume that Share Bristol is primarily a tool library, but in fact, carpet cleaners, gazebos and pressure washers are just as popular as DIY tools. The biggest thing donated to the charity so far is a car roof box, while the smallest is probably a hex wrench.

“Share Bristol is asking local people to support their charity and help loan Bristol by donating Things to the Library – they’re looking for anything people would like to borrow for a week or two, rather than having it permanently in their homes. They are also looking for more volunteers – at the moment Share Bristol Kingswood is open 11 hours a week for four days, but Bedminster is only open on Wednesday lunchtimes and Saturday mornings while the team expands,” she added .

You can join Share Bristol by visiting the Share Bristol website, pay an annual membership fee and then borrow for free from Bedminster or Kingswood Library of Things as often as you like. “This is a win-win-win – it’s affordable, brings life to the street and is great for the environment,” added Anna.