A LEADING poverty expert has praised Worcester’s Hive Library in her latest book, describing it as an innovative model that shows how public services could be re-imagined.
In her book, Impoverished: How to Fix Britain’s Poverty Problem, pioneering author Joanna Mack examines the high levels of poverty which have become embedded in the UK.
In a chapter examining work that is already being done across the UK, Joanna writes that The Hive is ‘driven by an ethos of inclusivity’ and calls it an ‘imaginative centre of learning for people of all ages’.
Speaking after the recent launch of the book, she said: “We often think of poverty in terms of income, but it’s also about what services and opportunities people can access. When high-quality public services decline or become harder to access, that deepens inequality.
“What somewhere like The Hive does is open up those resources to everyone, making the university part of the community and giving people access to learning opportunities they might not otherwise have.
“It’s absolutely critical to bring people together; especially at a time when society feels divided. Shared spaces and shared services help to break down those barriers.”
Opened in 2012 by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, The Hive remains the only fully integrated public and university library in the UK.
Prof David Green, vice chancellor and chief executive of the University of Worcester, added: “One of the features which makes The Hive so uniquely valuable is that children, parents, grandparents and guardians have full access to the university’s extensive collection of teaching resources, to help children learn about everything ranging from the natural world, through to arithmetic and spelling, to the religions of the world.
“The children’s library is an inspiring facility, and it is wonderful that it is so well used by so many helping to share education and human understanding from the early years of life onward.”
Impoverished: How to Fix Britain’s Poverty Problem, is available in book shops and online now.
