METHODISTS in the Worth Valley have launched volunteer-run libraries at churches in Lees, Oxenhope and Haworth.

Church leaders have teamed up with Bradford Council’s Library Service to provide replacements for mobile libraries, which used to visit the local neighbourhoods.

Preacher Deacon Claire Gill said each of the four Methodist churches in the Worth Valley had a long history of reaching out to the community.

She added: “In their early incarnations, this was through Sunday Schools and concerts providing education and entertainment, as well as a place of welcome, and more recently as places of meetings for a variety of groups.

“The Methodist Church is much more than a community centre – it remains driven by a social conscience, which looks to reach out again in new ways and offer a warm welcome to all."

Lees Library Link offers books for all ages on the first Saturday of each month from 10am to 11.30am and the third Wednesday from 1pm to 2.30pm, including February 17.

Oxenhope launches its Library Link on Saturday, from 10am to 11.30am, and is also open on the fourth Wednesday from 10am to 10.30am. The Methodist Church will offer books for older residents, while nearby St Mary’s Church will cater for families and younger readers.

Haworth Chapel, in West Lane, is offering a chance for people to borrow and donate books at its community-led library, as well as a jigsaw exchange, where people can drop off jigsaws.

The Haworth library runs alongside the Food For The Soul lunch scheme, run in conjunction with the Welcome Project, where freshly cooked food is served every Wednesday from 10am to 1.30pm on a pay-as-you-can basis.

Marsh Chapel this month started its Messy Marsh sessions, running on Sundays each month from 9.30am as an alternative to a traditional Sunday School. The next session will be on March 13.