World of toys waiting to be discovered

A world filled with toys for children to borrow and play with and meet new friends is tucked away in Rockingham with few knowing of its existence.

Rockingham’s Toy Library was first established in 1987, closed its doors in 2013 because of location issues and reopened in 2015.

Now, with recently elected president Karen East at its helm, the library is welcoming new members and applying for grants to improve the service it provides.

“It’s really about making the resource even better, bringing in more members, and building on what we’ve got,” she said.

The mother of two first joined the library after hearing about it from her sister-in-law.

“I didn’t want to see it closed down, so I put my hand up and went to the AGM — next minute, I was taking over,” Ms East said.

“It’s a great environment for kids to be in; they can come down have play dates, mix with other children and socialise.”

The not-for-profit organisation is run purely by volunteers and works via a membership, where parents can pay a six or 12-month fee and hire toys out for a set period of time.

“We supply toys for children aged 0-6, catering for each learning development phase, with members often donating toys their children no longer use,” Ms East said.

Future plans for the library include refreshing the collection, repainting the room, creating a reading corner and having new shelving installed.

“We’re always looking for volunteers to help with a variety of things and if anyone wants to sponsor us, that would be great, too,” Ms East said.

For more information or to get involved, visit http://rockinghamtoylibrary.weebly.com .