A closure-threatened library saved by village volunteers has celebrated a successful opening chapter.

Wilsden Community Library has notched-up its first anniversary, and bosses are delighted with the response to the service.

“We have managed very well during the past 12 months,” said Simon Dickerson, a parish councillor and chairman of the community library’s steering group.

“We’ve got a core of 14 to 15 volunteers, who provide a good service for the village.

“The library is only open one day a week, which is what we had when Bradford ran it. But although it’s run by volunteers, it’s still part of the Bradford Libraries system, so people can order books from other district libraries here. We’ve got about five to six thousand books on our shelves.”

A campaign was launched in 2011 when Bradford Council announced it was closing the library as part of cost-cutting measures.

Villagers formed the steering group to recruit and train volunteers to keep the facility open for lending and internet services.

And on April 3 last year, the community scheme – based at the village hall in Townfield – was officially opened by Baroness Margaret Eaton.

The library is open on Tuesdays from 9.15am to 7pm, and includes computers with internet access.

Mr Dickerson added: “You could argue there are bigger libraries not that far away in Bingley, Shipley and Keighley.

“But it tends to be the more senior members of the village who use the Wilsden library. You can see how it’s particularly useful for older people who may be very reliant on public transport.

“Our volunteers are extremely supportive and enjoy interacting with each other and with the library users, so there is a social side to it as well.

“We do have some limitations, but we can offer more to the village than a mobile library would have done.”