Te Puke Toy Library gains Council funding
Te Puke Toy Library president Monique Lints (left) with librarian Diane Treadgold (standing right) with their children and a visiting mum and her son.
A $2500 funding boost for the Te Puke Toy Library will help children with special needs in Te Puke.
The toy library is one of 27 community groups in the Western Bay to receive money from the Western Bay of Plenty District Council's 2017 Community Matching Fund - an annual contestable fund of $100,000 for which community groups can apply.
Toy Library president Monique Lints says the $2500 will be used to enable families with special circumstances to have free 12-month membership and toy hireage.
Children with disabilities, those with foster carers and children from families in crisis are among the many people for whom the library offers support and resources, says Monique.
"We have more than 25 families using our library - their special circumstances include learning disabilities, long term illness, disability and medical needs.
"One little boy who has just had a cochlear implant came in here and picked up a toy that made noises - it was the best feeling in the world to see his face light up when he heard the toy.''
The library's membership has grown to 104 - the highest in the 19 years the toy library has been in Te Puke - alongside support from the community which has also gone from strength to strength.
The biggest hurdle facing the toy library is to find new premises, as the present location in the former dairy factory is virtually bulging at the seams.
Monique is spreading the word around town to try and find bigger premises - not just for the increasing number of toys but also a place big enough to have room for children to spread out and play and space for mums to socialise with each other while they are there.
The library is very active in the community, holding regular summer markets, a Brick Kids Lego Club at the Te Puke Library every Friday from 3.30pm and on 16 September there's a fundraising Lego Fan display at Fairhaven School from 10am until 5pm.
The Toy Library is open Wednesday to Friday, 9.30am until midday and on Saturdays from 10am until 2pm.
