Book fairs could come to an end

Lions’ loss of pool building puts event in doubt

The Combined Lions of Kā piti have been running book fairs each October for the past 25 years, and have raised close to $800,000.

But now they have lost the use of the old Raumati South swimming pool building book fair chairman Peter Cresswell said “has been so valuable in enabling the book fairs to function”.

Late last year, Kāpiti Coast District Council removed the books from the old building, due to its need for earthquake strengthening.

“The books are now held in an unsuitable area and unless an alternative can be found the bookfairs will have to stop.”

Cresswell wanted to encourage anyone with vacant premises to contact him, so the Lions could use it to store, sort, and pack books.

“If so, we will be able to run our winter book fairs in May and our main book fair in October and we can once again make more community organisations happy.

Cresswell said the bottom line was the book fairs were in jeopardy and would fail unless new premises could be found.

“We were very grateful when in 2014, the council granted permission to use the vacant pool building.

“Before that Lions had struggled to find a permanent packing and storage facility.”

Access to the pool building saw the book fair grow significantly.

By 2014 so many books were being donated via the big box at Coastlands Shopping Centre, it had to be cleared twice a day, seven days a week.

The Lions were storing up to 100,000 books each year and sorting, packing, and pricing 30,000 books for their winter book fairs and 60,000 for sales in October.

Cresswell said since the book fair’s inception in 1998, Lions have netted close to $800,000 which has all been distributed to local organisations with $47,000 being given to charities last year alone.

“It will be tragic if that can’t continue, and it won’t unless some kind person or organisation can make alternative accommodation available.”