BorrowIt library in Welwyn Garden City - Climate Hub

Borrow It! is a ‘library of things’ run by Things in Common Ltd.

We lend drills, sanders, jet-washers, sewing machines, blenders, ladders and much more

Join today to borrow a wide range of useful things for your home and garden

Borrow It has several collection points in Islington and Welwyn Garden City where you can collect pre-ordered items for a weekly loan. This service is often free for residents in social housing or £3.75 a month for other members.

A new initiative has been launched in Welwyn Garden City allowing residents to borrow tools and useful household items instead of buying them – helping them to save money and protect the planet.

Borrow It! - a service run by community benefit society Things in Common Ltd – has opened a Sharing Station in the Howard Centre with the aid of a £15,000 WelHat Community Grant provided by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council.

The station, which is in the centre’s first floor car park by the exit from the South Mall, loans out high-quality DIY tools and household essentials such as drills, pressure washers, strimmers, sewing machines and more. Known as a ‘library of things’, this reduces waste, conserves valuable resources and helps households keep more money in their pockets.

Anyone over the age of 18 can use the Sharing Station by signing up online for a monthly subscription of £3.75. Subscribers select what they wish to borrow online and are given a code that allows them to collect the item from the locker, which they can keep for up to seven days. Borrow It! volunteers meet up weekly to check in everything that has been returned, ensuring the items are safe and ready for the next person.

WelHat Community Grants are designed to fund projects that make a positive impact on the community and support residents of the borough while contributing to the council’s priorities. The service has also been supported by council contractors Morgan Sindall, who donated a jet wash, and Novus Solutions, who donated a £500 B&Q voucher which was used to purchase a range of useful tools.

Check out the website to even borrow a thermal imaging camera (donated by the council), so you can improve your homes' energy efficency, comfort, reduce emissions and save money.