Toy library thinks big
ONE of Australia’s best toy libraries, the Townsville Toy Library, is so popular with local families the organisation is on the hunt for a larger building.
The Townsville Toy Library president, Diana Condylas, said the library’s Railway Estate building was now too small.
“We have outgrown our building at First St, and to be able to provide a quality service and enough toys to meet demand we need a new space,” she said.
“We know how important the Townsville Toy Library has been to families for the last 40 years. We have lots of plans but we need a bigger space.”
The volunteer- operated service, which was awarded the national Large Toy Library of the Year gong, offers flexible and affordable fees to families of children aged under eight.
Ms Condylas said the toy library saved families money and gave parents access to a range of stimulating, challenging and educational toys.
“Often children only play with toys for a short period of time and that’s why the toy library is so invaluable,” she said. “Rather than waste money on buying expensive toys that end up in the back of the cupboard, parents are able to rent a variety of toys for up to a month at a time.
“Too often parents can spend large sums of money on expensive toys only to find the children become bored of them after only a couple of hours’ play.”
Ms Condylas said toy libraries were also eco- friendly.
“By choosing a toy library to source children’s toys, families can provide a wide variety of toys to assist their child’s development while helping reduce consumption and saving usable toys from landfill,” she said.
The mother- of- two said Townsville Toy Library had formed a working group to ensure its plan to find a larger space would happen.
“It’s critical that we find a bigger building to house the library as we are at capacity at the moment,” she said.
“We don’t want to put a cap on the number of families that can be members as we acknowledge how vital the service is for so many.
“We are hoping to attract community support to ensure our dream of a bigger space is realised.”
For further details go to townsvilletoylibrary.org.au