Come along and join us at one of our Community Toy Library sessions, listed below. At only £3 per family, you can enjoy a play session, craft activity, healthy snack, singing and choose a toy to borrow for the week. Make friends, enjoy a 'cuppa' and encourage your children to develop their language, communication and social skills through play.
All services leaflet in PDF.pdf
Groups run throughout term time and there is no need to book,
All families will need to complete a new registration form from 1st April 2021. You can either download and complete and email back or print off and bring along with you to the session. They will be available on the day to to complete. Family Registration Form.pdf
We are asking all families to complete a gift aid form to allow us to claim back tax on memberships raised.
Please do not bring food into the Toy Library session, we provide a biscuits at snack time. If your child has an allergy to the biscuits we provide please do let us know and we will provide a similar item at snack time for them.
| Monday | ||
| Havelock | Havelock Centre, Fawcett Road, Southsea, PO4 0LQ | 9.30-11.30 am |
| Copnor | St. Cuthberts Church Centre, Hayling Avenue, PO3 6EA | 9.15-11.15 am |
| Buckland | Connors Kubs SEN group Buckland Family Hub, Turner Road, PO1 4PN | 1.00-2.30 pm |
| Tuesday | ||
| Eastney | Eastney Community Centre, Bransbury Park, PO4 9JY | 9.15-11.15 am |
| Paulsgrove | Paulsgrove Community Centre, Marsden Road, PO6 4JB | 9.30-11.30 am |
| Wednesday | ||
| North End | North End Baptist Church, Powerscourt Road, North End, PO2 7JH | 9.15-11.15am |
| Buckland | Buckland Family Hub, Turner Road, PO1 4PN | 1.00-2.30 pm |
| Thursday | ||
| Anchorage Park | Anchorage Lodge, Sywell Crescent, Anchorage Park, PO3 5UB | 9.15-11.15 am |
| Highbury | Highbury Community Centre, Hawthorn Crescent, PO6 2TL | 9.15-11.15 am |
| Somerstown | Somerstown Family Hub, Omega St, Southsea, PO5 4LP (starting from September 2021) | 1.00-2.30 pm |
| Friday | ||
| Northern Parade | Northern Parade Family Hub. Doyle Avenue, Hilsea, PO2 9NE | 9.15-11.15 am |
Between April 21 and March 22 -
*we provided 431 stay, play and toy loan sessions across the City for parents, carers, professionals and grandparents to attend. 847 families accessed a Toy Library session with 70 % borrowing to continue play at home.
*Families enjoyed the variety in settings ranging from large community halls, outdoor garden areas, quiet sensory rooms, small rooms and those providing various smaller areas to explore throughout the setting. Families will often visit more than one to find the one that most suits them and their child(ren). We can advise parents and carers which setting to attend if they are looking for something specific.
*885 adults and 988 children enjoyed a Toy Library session, they made friends, gained confidence, learned negotiating skills, improved language skills and joined in messy play and craft activities, tried a variety of fruit and vegetables for their healthy snack. The children enjoy choosing a toy to borrow at the end of each session.
*176 hard to reach and vulnerable families have had 1:1 outreach support throughout this year. 53 have received on-going support into 2022.
*Our Community Toy Library groups are supported by 20 volunteers, volunteers complete DBS checks, manual handling, safeguarding, food hygiene and paediatric first aid.
*1016 children have benefitted from the child carers toy store, borrowing toys to continue play and development within w=settings and their own homes. 297 of these children have additional needs and have borrowed specialist toys and resources including therapeutic and sensory items.
*54 grandparents came along to our community toy library sessions, 236 dads and 19 young parents (21 and under)
Throughout the year we provided Toy library sessions at the following venues:-
Havelock Centre, Southsea
St Cuthbert’s Centre, Copnor
Eastney Community Centre
Highbury Community Centre
Paulsgrove Community Centre
North End Baptist Church
Buckland Family Hub
Anchorage Lodge, Anchorage Park
Somerstown Family Hub
Northern Parade Family Hub
We are one of the few remaining voluntary services in Portsmouth supporting pre-school children and their parents. This allows us to have contact with the families to identify any concerns or issues including, developmental delays, post-natal depression, isolation, domestic abuse or parenting struggles. This covers the period of parents leaving their Health Visitor and children attending pre-school ensuring problems are not left to escalate or go unnoticed.