Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:12 pm on 14 March 2018.
Diolch, Llywydd. Last Friday, it was my great pleasure to join the community of Bedlinog, in my constituency, as they celebrated the opening of their community library. I've sat in this Chamber too often hearing about the loss of local services in so many communities in Wales, as we are unable to avoid the impact and the consequences of pressures caused by austerity and budget cuts. But, thankfully, in many cases, the response to these problems has been the initiative of local people who want to protect and improve their own community, and that is the story of Bedlinog community library. At a time when over 400 libraries across the country have closed, it is the effort of so many volunteers that has been a key part in securing, and now looking to expand, this local service—none more so than the school employee Ann Mills, who has driven this project with support from Bedlinog Community Council, the county borough council, and Welsh Government. The volunteering efforts provided the spark, not just for this library, but for taking the community at Bedlinog forwards, with many other activities and projects planned on the back of this. It's clear to me that this group of volunteers, with the well-being of Bedlinog at heart, now also holds a bigger vision for their village: a village in which this service and the school grows as a hub for supporting the life of the community. This is a venture worthy of acknowledgement in this place, because it's inspiring to see a community come together and respond to adverse circumstances in the way that Bedlinog has. So, well done and thank you to you all.