Loved and Wanted Fund

Loved and Wanted Fund is sponsored by Greater London Authority (GLA). The Loved and Wanted Fund aims to promote social cohesion across London by supporting civil society organizations that bring Londoners together and help them fully participate in community and city life.

Loved and Wanted | Libraries Connected All 33 London Libraries, a total of 291 individual library branches, will take part in the Greater London Authority’s ‘Loved and Wanted’ campaign. Every library will adopt the campaign’s branding and messaging, with 18 services delivering focused activity in one flagship branch each.

These libraries will work closely with local community organisations to strengthen relationships and deepen connections. Each service will host three information days, bringing together local services alongside regional and national partners to offer information and support. Partners may include Lewisham Refugee and Migrant Network, Korean Culture and Wellness Group, Hong Kong Church Group, Queer Minds, New Citizens Gateway and more.

We hope the Loved and Wanted project will attract new and diverse partners, especially those not yet engaged with London Libraries. A shared information sheet will be created and translated into a range of community languages, forming a multilingual resource bank accessible across the London Libraries network.

A highlight of the programme will be the London tour of the ‘Quilt of Welcome’, co‑created in Sheffield by children in 13 schools and three hospital settings. The quilt, made from 440 fabric patches decorated with words that make children feel safe and welcome (often in their heritage languages), offers a powerful counter to divisive rhetoric. It will tour 18 London library sites.

Libraries hosting the Quilt of Welcome will offer accompanying activities, many delivered with partners, but not limited to: Conversations Clubs, ESOL social groups, Welcome Cafe, Men in Sheds, Rewilding Rangers, Migrant Advocacy Service, Book Break, RSCALS Afterschool Club, and more.

Each library will tailor its programming to local needs, working collaboratively with community groups to create welcoming opportunities for people of all backgrounds, cultures, and faiths. Frontline library staff will receive professional development to deliver multilingual storytelling sessions, building on existing strengths.

Libraries stock a range of resources, including books, in several languages and bilingual books both electronic and digital. Supporting cultural activities linked to the Libraries Connected Cultural Calendar will include book displays, language cafés, sewing and knitting groups, storytelling and sharing for all ages and crafts, and will be curated locally by front line library staff who understand their communities best.

Loved and Wanted funding will support London Libraries' work in diverse communities, enhancing the reach and impact by: Supporting trusted local groups to produce culturally and linguistically relevant communications. Ensuring families and young people facing barriers (digital exclusion, language, stigma, low trust) can access information in ways that work for them.

Amplifying underrepresented voices by helping communities develop their own communication materials. The Loved and Wanted project will run from April 2026 to March 2028. Regional Development Manager