About Us

Supporting the Library since 1998...

The Friends have been supporting the library since 1998, when it looked likely that it might have to close due to Oxfordshire County Council budgetary constraints. Successful lobbying of the Council by founding committee members meant the library was able to stay open and it is now run by a single Council-paid member of staff and a large number of volunteers.

The Friends provide financial support for the library which allows the library manager to buy more books. It also provides her with a part-time paid assistant who keeps the library open while she works to encourage more people to come to the library by organising events for children and adults in partnership with FOGL. She also visits schools and local organisations, ranging from the Cubs to the Macular Degeneration Society, to spread the word about what the Library has to offer them.

Check out our Upcoming Events to find out what's coming up at the library over the coming months and please visit the Join Us page to find out how you can get involved with the Friends to ensure the Library continues to thrive and maintains its vital role in the life of our community. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Warmingham’s Estate Agents, the Gatehampton Trust, the Edith Lucy Woodward Charitable Trust and the Goring Gap News for their financial support and encouragement of the Friends. I hope to meet you at future Library events or perhaps in the Library itself, as I also volunteer as well as chairing the committee.

Jacqui Gray

Chair, FoGL

[FOGL became an HMRC registered charity in April 2019]

Our Staff

Oxfordshire County Council employ one member of staff (our manager) and the Friends Of Goring Library (FOGL) employ our customer service advisor.

Manager

Kate Cheng

I have been a member of FOGL since my children were very young, they are both about to fly the nest. With this change the time seemed right for a bit of a new direction. Having worked outdoors for 20 years teaching, I took over as manager in 2019 and I am enjoying myself being surrounded by books all day in the warm.

When not in the library I can be found walking my lovely, but mad dog Archie around our beautiful villages!

Favourite Books...

The Hare with Amber eyes by Edmund de Waal
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Customer Service Advisor

Jane Crowther

One of my earliest memories as a child is going to my local library, often every week. Having moved around the country over the years, one of the first things I did, wherever I moved to, was join the library. It always seemed a way into the local community, as well as a source of books.

During Covid lockdown, reading was something I did more of, helped at that time by being able to use the Library service’s online books and magazines. It made me appreciate the importance of having access to books, particularly when you are unable to go out. So following lockdown I became a Home Library Scheme volunteer, as well as joining the team of volunteers who assist in Goring library every day. When the FOGL funded part-time customer service advisor retired, I applied for the post and was delighted to be offered it. It’s a busy and enjoyable role, surrounded by more books I want to read than I could ever have time to do.

Favourite Books...

The Bee Keeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
Our Man in Moscow by Amor Towles

Our Committee

FOGL was formed in 1998 and supports the library by raising money to purchase books and other resources to add to those already provided by the Oxfordshire County Council (OCC).

It has previously been involved in lobbying the Council when the library was threatened with closure. It works in partnership with OCC, including the provision and support of the volunteers necessary to keep the library open. It became an HMRC registered charity in April 2019.

FOGL is run by a committee of local people who are elected at the Annual General Meeting held in May.

All are welcome to attend.

Our committee is currently made up of 11 members.

FOGL Chair

Jacqui Gray

Jacqui has lived in Goring since 1999 and been involved with the library for the last 4 years, both as a volunteer in the library and on the committee of FOGL, latterly as Chair. Never happier than when she's left alone with a large cup of coffee & a good book. Maybe a few biscuits as well.

Secretary and Vice-Chair

Sarah Chambers

Sarah Chambers has lived in Goring since 1996. She started coming to the library with her 3 children, and now goes with her grandson. She started volunteering for FOGL in 2018, as Secretary and as a volunteer story teller for pre-schoolers.

Volunteer Coordinator

Susan Ritchie

Susan loves reading and has used the local library wherever she has lived since childhood. She believes libraries are a wonderful resource giving everyone access to a huge range of books, magazines, newspapers and so much more at no cost. She has been a volunteer in the library for a number of years, is responsible for the displays in the children’s library and has recently taken on the coordinator role.

Membership Secretary

Sara Boorman

We moved to Goring in 2018 . I’ve loved reading all my life and started a book group where we used to live in East Sussex. I was so pleased to find Goring Library - such a lovely and lively place. We became members straight away. I’m now Membership Secretary and have a book group here (we can still take a few more members!). To quote Sidney Smith (1771-1845) ‘Live always in the best company when you read’

Committee Member

Tina Marinos

Tina is a relative newcomer to the village having moved here three years ago. One of the first things she did was join the library and she is very pleased to be more involved as a volunteer both in the library and on the committee of FOGL. She belongs to the Goring library book club and enjoys reading for herself and to her grandchildren.

Treasurer

Andrew Smith

Andy was recently elected as a parish councillor and is a professional trustee as well as our treasurer.

Committee member

Sarah Morton

Sarah moved to Goring in 2010. She and her family love our small but perfectly formed library. Having grown up with her nose in a book, she didn’t hesitate to join the committee when the chance arose. Her family motto is ‘there’s no such thing as too many books!’

Committee member

Ed Christie

Ed has lived in Goring for many years but has been immersed in books all his life. He has spent more than 2 decades working at Penguin Random House and Dorling Kindersley book publishers before retraining to become an English teacher. His two favourite books (he can’t narrow it down to one) are Bleak House by Charles Dickens and The Given Day by Dennis Lehane.

Friends of Goring Library

About Us

Supporting the Library since 1998...

Our Staff

Kate Cheng

Jane Crowther

Our Committee

Jacqui Gray

Sarah Chambers

Susan Ritchie

Sara Boorman

Tina Marinos

Andrew Smith

Sarah Morton

Ed Christie

Friends of Goring Library