About us

Welcome to Upton Community Library.

The “library” as we are known locally, is run by UNEF, Upton and North Elmsall Forum, a local charity, it has 5 trustees, whose aim is to provide services, help, advice, and of course a library, to our community.

We are ideally situated for this, being right in the centre of our village opposite the Co-op, and next doot to the primary school.

A Short History of UNEF and the library.

UNEF was formed 20 years ago by a group of individuals to identify, serve and support local voluntary groups, for the benefit of the community.  In 2012 UNEF became a “NOT FOR PROFIT COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE” No. 7990661.  In 2016 UNEF became a charity, No. 1171973.  UNEF’s objectives are to promote the welfare of the people of the parishes of Upton and North Elmsall and to provide facilities and services which maintain and enhance the quality of life of the residents.

The library was built in 2007 by Wakefield MDC, and run by them until 2012, when due to costs and local government cutbacks, they decided to close it.  UNEF could not let this happen, a loss of such a valuable community asset and likely as not, another derelict building in our village.

UNEF took on the lease, and with the help of a grant from the Parish Council, re-opened the library in 2013.

Fast forward to 2018 and the Parish Council stopped all funding to the library, but that has not stopped us, and we continue to provide all our services, and be a central hub for our community, run solely by unpaid volunteers.