St Bride celebrates crowdfunder success

Famous visitors in the past include HRH Prince Charles
Famous visitors in the past include HRH Prince Charles

The St Bride Library has reached its £50,000 fundraising target ahead of its 125th anniversary celebrations next year.

At the time of writing the crowdfunding appeal had raised £51,355. It will remain open until 7.45pm today (14 December).

The fundraiser was launched last month, and the deadline for pledges was subsequently extended into December. St Bride’s plans to use the money to digitise parts of its collection, which will make its treasures more widely available.

The £50,000 goal was reached yesterday, with the library team tweeting their joy: “We’ve just done it!!! We’ve reached our £50,000 target!!! Thank you so much to everyone who has donated to our campaign. We’re overwhelmed with the love and support for the Library – we wouldn’t be what we are without you all.”

The St Bride Library is part of the St Bride Foundation, located just off Fleet Street in London.

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced it to call off its usual programme of in-person events, and it has turned to Zoom instead.

The Library has just announced its first lecture of 2021 ‘Inspired by St Bride’, which celebrates the inspiration it has provided to creatives over the course of 125 years.

The event takes place on the evening of  14 January and will feature designers and typographers including Becky Chilcott, Dave Crossland, Tom Etherington, Alistair Hall, Andrew Long, Simon Loxley, Sarah Pasquali, Vaibhav Singh and Kath Tudball.

St Bride’s librarian Sophie Hawkey-Edwards and Andrew Long, the apprentice at its Print Workshop, will also take part.

Tickets cost £3-£5 and can be booked here.

The St Bride Foundation began life in 1891, and it moved into its Victorian building in 1894. The technical library was set up in 1895.