Dog lovers create calendar to raise money for Levenshulme Old Library

Manchester dog lovers have joined forces with the Levenshulme Old Library to create a charity calendar celebrating local dogs.

The charity venture will help raise vital funds to support the community arts organisation.

With the talents of a local photographer, Zarina Akhtar, a socially distanced photo shoot was organised in Highfield Country Park during October where several local pooches had their photos taken.

The calendar was then created by a design student at Loreto College, Essa Mustapha.

All volunteers involved in the project have offered their time and services pro-bono, in order to raise as much money as possible for Levenshulme Old Library.

It is hoped the money will help the community arts centre in what has been a very difficult year for the arts and culture sector.

Levenshulme Library was opened in 1904 as one of many Carnegie Free libraries, with an endowment of £2,500.

As written in a newspaper report in 1904, when the building was first gifted to Levenshulme Urban District Council: “There is no more useful and generous means of distributing wealth than bearing the expense of providing and disseminating knowledge… One of the latest additions to his wonderful scheme of providing these ‘storehouses of knowledge’ is at Levenshulme.”

Since then it served as a local library until 2016, when a new library was opened as part of the new Arcadia Leisure Centre, following an active community campaign to retain a local library service.

In Spring 2018 the building re-opened, under the management of LOLCIO.

Featuring 13 beautiful photos of a variety of breeds in all shapes and sizes, the calendar is now on sale and all profits will be donated to Levenshulme Old Library. 

The calendar is being sold at the Levenshulme Market, a weekly community market in the heart of Levenshulme, on Saturday 19th December. You can also buy the calendar online now with prices starting at £12 with local pick-up, with M19 and UK-wide delivery options available.