PENAIR School has launched a crowdfunding campaign in a bid to raise £50,000 to relaunch its library.

The lending service closed five years ago when an increase in pupil numbers saw the space repurposed as a classroom. It re-opened this spring, but is in desperate need of attention.

Assistant headteacher Melany Mugford said £50,000 was needed for a complete physical overhaul of the library space, not including provision of books.

“Cuts to school funding mean we are simply not able to address these issues, and we need your support,” she said. “It is our wish to provide pupils with a place where they can escape and become lost in a world between the pages of a book - a place that they want to visit because they know that there’s something for them.”

The money will be used to fund new flooring, bookshelves, chairs, soft seating, desks, window blinds and fresh paintwork.

Reading intervention and library lead Neil Swanston said: “At our recent open evening, several parents told me the library looked exactly as it did when they were students at Penair, which gives you an idea of how long it's been.

“We want to create a safe and inclusive space for all our students — a literacy haven that inspires them to read, and shows them books have relevance in this digital era and that reading has a purpose in their world.”

National Literacy Trust research has revealed children and young people who like to read are three times more likely to have better mental health than those who don’t.

Research from Dr David Lewis shows as little as six minutes’ daily reading can reduce stress levels by 60 per cent by lowering your heart rate, easing muscle tension and altering your state of mind.

But while children's reading charity BookTrust recommends that a school library holds 13 books per student, at Penair there are currently only enough for one book per student. A recent audit of the school’s stock highlighted that it was missing around 80 per cent of the titles on recommended reading lists.

“Children are five times more likely to finish a book they have chosen themselves, but unfortunately, we don’t have either the volume or quality of titles to offer students enough choice,” said Mrs Mugford.

A wishlist of books Penair would like to stock can be found at www.lovereading4kids.co.uk, where 25 per cent of the cover price will be donated to the school to buy more books.

Like the school’s sports and drama facilities, the library could be made available for local community groups, such as bingo, book clubs or charity events such as coffee mornings.

To donate to the library overhaul, visit www.gofundme.com/f/create-a-library-for-our-school