Most households own a power drill they used twice. A pressure washer that came out once for the patio. A tile cutter that was bought for one job and has gathered dust ever since. Multiply that across every home on a street — the garages, sheds, and cupboards under stairs — and you have an enormous amount of capital sitting idle while neighbours drive to the hardware shop to buy the same thing again.

The SPToolLibrary is built on a simple and powerful idea: share what we have, borrow what we need. A community catalogue of tools — professionally maintained, safety tested, and available to borrow — means that no one needs to own a tool they will use only occasionally.

What Is the SPToolLibrary?

The SPToolLibrary is a free-to-use web app that lets members browse, request, and borrow tools from a shared community catalogue. Every tool has its own page with photographs, a description, and real-time availability. Members can request a loan, choose a collection date, and manage their borrowing history — all online.

Each physical tool carries a QR code. Scan it with any smartphone and you go straight to that tool's page — no app download, no fuss. Volunteers manage loans, returns, and maintenance through a dedicated admin panel, and every electrical tool in the library has a tracked PAT (Portable Appliance Testing) record to ensure it is always safe to use.

What Can You Borrow?

The library currently holds 142 tools across ten categories:

• ⚡ Power Tools — drills, jigsaws, circular saws, sanders, routers
• 🔨 Hand Tools — hammers, chisels, hand saws, clamps, spanners
• 🌿 Garden & Outdoor — strimmers, hedge trimmers, cultivators, pressure washers
• 🖌️ Decorating — rollers, brushes, stepladders, wallpaper tables, steam strippers
• 🔧 Plumbing — pipe cutters, compression tools, leak detectors
• 🪜 Ladders & Access — stepladders, extension ladders, roof ladders
• 📐 Measuring & Levelling — laser levels, spirit levels, measuring wheels
• 🧹 Cleaning Equipment — wet and dry vacs, carpet cleaners, steam cleaners
• 🪛 Accessories & Bits — drill bit sets, saw blades, fixings

Who It Helps

DIY homeowners who need a specialist tool for a one-off job — tiling a bathroom, fitting a door, laying a deck — can borrow exactly what they need rather than spending £80 on something they will use once.

Gardeners who need seasonal equipment — a cultivator in spring, a pressure washer in autumn — can borrow it for the week rather than storing it all year.

Renters and people on low incomes often cannot justify buying expensive tools they may only use once or twice. The library gives them access to professional-quality equipment at no cost beyond membership.

Small community groups and local organisations tackling improvement projects — painting a hall, building raised beds, laying paths — can access the full catalogue without a capital outlay.

Older residents who once had their own tools but no longer maintain a full workshop can borrow specific items when they need them, with confidence they are safety tested and well maintained.

Every tool borrowed from a shared library is a tool that did not need to be manufactured, shipped, and eventually landfilled. Sharing is the most sustainable form of ownership there is.

How It Works

Join as a member — free registration, quick approval. Browse the catalogue online or scan a QR code on any tool you spot in the community. Request the tool you need, select your collection date, and pick it up from the designated collection point. Return it on time in good working order. That is it.

Every tool is inspected on return, maintained by our volunteer team, and electrical tools are PAT tested on schedule. If a tool needs repair it goes into the maintenance queue and members are automatically notified when it is available again.

How to Get Involved

The library runs entirely on volunteer effort. If you can spare a few hours a month — helping with loans and returns, maintaining tools, or expanding the catalogue — we would love to have you involved. Use the Volunteer tab to tell us what you can offer.

If you have tools sitting unused that you would be willing to donate to the library — especially power tools, garden equipment, or specialist items — we will photograph them, safety test them, add them to the catalogue, and make sure they benefit the whole community.