East Linton Tool Library is going from strength to strength. Since opening in May 2021, the number of items on our inventory has more than doubled, thanks to generous donations of a wide range of quality tools and DIY equipment from people all over East Lothian.
You can view our inventory here
Our five original volunteers, Chris, Brian, Martin, Hanna and Dave, continue to bring great dedication, organisation and creative flair to the cabin, enabling us to deliver a valuable service to the community of East Linton and beyond. Both our members and our volunteers are from Haddington, Dunbar, North Berwick, Garvald and Gifford.
Due to the success of the Tool Library, five more volunteers have just joined the team. A warm welcome to Muriel, Jennifer, Liz, Bob and Malcolm!
Thanks to funding from the Climate Challenge Fund, we are able to pay rent to The Mart for our portakabin and also to hold a range of repair and reuse workshops so as to enable people to learn new skills and, just as importantly, make new friends. Our sessions at East Linton Community Hall, which have been run over the last 4 months, have all booked out within a day and been enjoyed by all who attended. We will be running more such workshops soon.
Since the Tool Library opened, we've been keeping a record of which tools are most popular and what projects our members have been working on:
In 1st place...
followed closely in 2nd place by...
and in 3rd place...
Among the wide variety of projects our members have embarked upon and - with the help of tools from ELTL - completed, we have:
Dismantling rotten old shed
Path cleaning
Hedge pruning
Building a mud kitchen
Laying cable underneath flagstone path
Paint stripping from East Linton phone box for Climate Action East Linton
Kitchen tile job
Replacing window panes in East Linton phone box for Climate Action East Linton
Assembling a new shed
Gardening cleanup
Hedge removal
Replacement of tap cartridge to fix leaky tap
Reclaiming old masonry and bricks for re-use
Refurbishing woodwork on a painted bed
Removing old wire fence from a tree that had grown around it
Woodworking to accommodate wiring
Upholstery work
Cleaning up and finishing half a barrel for a garden project
Clearing high grass surrounding newly planted trees
Knife sharpening
Putting up shelves in a garage
Grass cutting
Digging through a concrete floor to allow replacement of lead pipes
Garden maintenance
Making garden planters out of offcuts of decking planks
Looking for buried wire
Ripping up manky old carpet in new house
Tall tree and hedge pruning
Gutter maintenance
Fixing a leaking mixer tap
House renovation
In the last 6 months we've had 137 loans of 183 items!
Our volunteers have also taken DIY out into the community, building a bug hotel for children at East Linton Primary school.
As the clocks go back and the nights draw in, what better time to embark on a DIY project?
Our volunteers are knowledgeable and friendly and always happy to help with any questions and offer advice if you wish. Visitors to the cabin are always welcome. Opening hours are as usual, 5-7pm on Tuesdays and 10-12 midday on Saturdays. If you're thinking of becoming a member but aren't sure, come along and find out more.
If you're ready to sign up right now, go here.
And because a Tool Library Membership is for life (as long as you renew annually!) not just for Christmas, remember we also do Gift Subscriptions, which you can find here.
Why Buy when you can Borrow?
Become a member of East Linton Tool Library for £25 pounds per year and you'll:
Save money
Reduce CO2 emissions
Reduce waste going to landfill
Learn new skills
Join a community of people working to create a circular economy
We look forward to seeing you soon!