Walthamstow Toy Library and Play Centre has been selected as 17 & Central’s charity partner for 2023. A popular choice, the shopping centre was inundated with nominations and heartwarming comments from shoppers and members of the public.

Helen Crockford, the Toy Library’s director was thrilled with the news: She said: “We are delighted to have been chosen as 17 & Central’s charity partner for the year and are really looking forward to working with the team. The Toy Library has been active in the borough for 48 years and it’s wonderful to have been recognised by so many. Thank you to everyone who voted for us.”

Described as a “a real lifeline and a vital local resource,” by one local resident, the Toy Library is an educational charity which provides babies and children under the age of five with a stimulating and creative learning environment. It also loans out high-quality toys to local families.

As well as encouraging bonding and attachment between children and their parents or carers, the Toy Library aims to reduce isolation and help parents develop supportive social networks. It also promotes the health and well-being of children and families and provides all sectors of the local community with access to its amazing services, particularly those on a low income.

Talking about the selection process, Gwendolyne Lobo, 17 & Central’s marketing manager, explained: “We received nominations from lots of different local and very worthy charities, but the Toy Library was the standout choice and clear winner. The whole team was deeply moved by the positive impact it has on our community. Its work makes a huge difference across the area, and we were inundated with glowing comments from local residents.

“The charity is a great fit for the centre as its target audience mirrors ours and it will be able to use our platforms effectively to reach out to many more families and spread awareness of its incredible services.”

As well as promoting the charity via its social pages, website, email database, digital screens and signage throughout the centre, 17 & Central plans to run a series of guest engagement events over the year, including Easter, summer and Halloween activities. It has also set up a Localgiving page to help with fundraising, which will be shared on all its platforms. https://localgiving.org/fundraising/17andcentralcharityoftheyear/

This year, the Toy Library will be taking over 17 & Central’s popular Santa’s Grotto, which means that it will run for longer and the charity will benefit from additional fundraising. 17 & Central will also be offering space to the charity so that it can run its own fundraising events.

“This is the very least we can do”, adds Gwen. “We are really looking forward to working with the charity and providing any help we can. Last year we were able to assist PL84U AL SUFFA be providing a vacant unit which volunteers were able to use as a charity shop, selling items donated by the public.”

Of course, the Toy Library is no stranger to 17 & Central. During February, volunteers from the charity came in to run a Valentine’s card making session and hosted a half-term craft workshop, where little ones could create and gift paper daffodils.

Support for the charity from local residents was overwhelming. Here are just some of their remarkable comments:-

“This amazing local charity has served the parents and young children of Walthamstow for over forty years. I don’t know how I would have coped without the support and friendship I received via the Toy Library. It was great for my children to mix with others, and we could borrow toys to play with at home too. The importance of having places like this, where isolated parents and children can drop in, cannot be overestimated. I still go, but as a grandmother now.”

“They give me somewhere to go, even on the hardest days of being a mum. They offer their services for free if people can’t afford it and they bring joy and support to the community!”

“The Toy Library is so much more than a place to borrow toys; it’s a place of warmth, friendship and support and I have no idea how I’d have managed – new to parenthood, new to Walthamstow – without it. The impact it has on the lives of people who use it, is eternal.”

Stay tuned to 17 & Central’s website for details of upcoming events and ways to support the charity. www.17andcentral.co.uk