We are very pleased to announce that our crowdfunding campaign to send a mobile library to Ukraine has surpassed our target of £10,000. With the crowdfunder now closed, thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters we are now able to purchase the decommissioned, fully serviced mobile library from a UK library service and deliver it to librarians in Ukraine.

The mobile library will play a literal and symbolic part in the preservation of Ukrainian culture. Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, more than 600 public libraries and 2,000 school libraries have been damaged or destroyed by Russian troops and millions of Ukrainian books have been burnt.

Following necessary renovation and conversion, the mobile library will be driven across Europe to the Ukraine border, where it will be handed over to our partners and taken into Ukraine in the summer of 2024. Since we have hit and gone beyond our £10,000 target - and with donations from several businesses still to come – all additional funds will be donated directly to our Ukrainian partners, principally Library Country Ukraine. This can be used to buy books for Ukrainian libraries and support Ukrainian librarians in need.

We would like to say a massive thank you to all 227 people who donated to help us reach the target amount. Everything they gave, whether large or small was crucial not only in getting to £10,000 but in providing a stream of support and solidarity to Ukrainian librarians. We know that the messages left on our crowdfunder page have had a significant impact on those in Ukraine who have read them, providing a feeling of solidarity and giving hope that will last during the difficult months and years to come.

Isobel Hunter, Chief Executive of Libraries Connected said:

We are very happy to have reached the fundraising target of £10,000, enabling us to buy, kit out and send a mobile library to our partners in Ukraine. The support shown throughout this appeal can be measured not only in financial terms through the many generous donations. It can also be seen in the messages of support for the people of Ukraine living under the constant strain of conflict, reflecting the spirit of international solidarity that exists amongst the library community.

That we have not only raised the target amount but gone past it is a tribute to the empathy of our supporters. We thank each one and look forward to sharing more news and progress with them about the library’s journey to Ukraine.

Lyusyena Shum, Executive Director of Library Country Ukraine, said:

Сulture is facing a very threatening situation in Ukraine, with over 1,000 cultural heritage sites and more than a million books now destroyed as a result of daily Russian missile attacks. Communities are trying to come back to life, recovering from the occupation, and are in great need of rehabilitation and adaptation. We are grateful to the British people for their support and solidarity, for fostering democratic values, and for their continued support in Ukraine's struggle against the Russian invasion and occupation.