Woodrow Library Coordinator, Worcestershire County Council

Steph Edkins has worked at Woodrow Library since January 2006. She is a key link to the community, getting involved with community groups and providing activities to suit their needs. The Library is located in an area of Worcestershire with high Levels of disadvantage, deprivation, unemployment and social housing. Steph has transformed the services from the library by engaging with some of the hardest to reach groups including young people and single parents, listening to residents and providing new initiatives and ways to attract and work with them. One of the many highlights of Steph's career has been the 'Shutter project', where young people (aged 11 to 15 years) worked on a new design and then spray painted the library shutters to make them more of a feature for the local customers to appreciate. One local resident said: "I would like to take the chance to point out what a wonderful job the staff at Woodrow Library are doing..."