Christmas closing dates

Our last open day before Christmas is Wednesday 21st December. We re-open fully on Monday January 9th.

Toys can be returned on Friday January 6th, but there will be no stay and play session on that day.

We wish you all a very Happy Christmas and look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

Working at the toy library

Co-ordinator needed to take responsibility for the day to day running of a well established Toy Library. As a charitable organisation this role involves working with a valuable team of volunteers and the management committee. Suitable applicants should have good literacy, numeracy and IT skills, enjoy working with people and have a sound knowledge of child development.

See below for further details.

----------------------------------------------------------- Job application pack starts here --------------------

Dear applicant,

Thank you for your interest in our job vacancy. I enclose more information for the job and would encourage you to visit us to see for yourself what is involved in the day to day running of Shepshed Toy Library. The position is a part-time role and remuneration will reflect you skills and experience.

The Toy Library is a registered charity with its own management team and a group of volunteers who work on different sessions.

The Toy Library is responsible for finding its own funds either through grants, membership fees or fundraising events.

Role of Co-ordinator

To maintain the running of a lively and friendly toy library:-

- Promoting play in its widest sense

- Lending a good selection of toys for ages 0-10

- Providing valuable play experiences in the play area to

benefit both children and parents/carers.

To provide an environment that encourages socialising and support for carers and families.

To help plan and implement the finding of funds.

To work with volunteers and in accordance with Toy Library policies and objectives.

We would like you to write in your own words why you would like to work for the Toy Library, and what skills and experience you would bring and their relevance to us.

Please send your CV, completed criteria form and written application to the above address for the attention of Louise Bowles. In the event you are invited to interview we would like you to prepare for the interview either 1) an example of a short play session, please consider, age, how it would be implemented and what are the benefits to children and their respective adults or 2) an idea for fund raising and how you would implement it.

The closing date for application is the 10^th of January 2012

Appointment of the position would be after being successful in the interview process and a enhanced CRB check.

We look forward to reading your application

Yours sincerely,

Louise Bowles

Chairperson

Please note this is a part-time role in school term time only. As a guideline the hours of work and pay will be in the region of:

• Main role – 16 hours per week at a salary of around £4500 (depending on experience)
• Supporting role - 10 hours per week at a salary of around £3000 (depending on experience)

Criteria Checklist	ESSENTIAL	DESIRABLE	Y/N
NVQ Level 3 in Early Years Care or equivalent	Y
An up to date Early Years First Aid Certificate		Y
At least 3 years experience with the under 5's	Y
Experience of working with parents and carers		Y
Knowledge of the Every Child Matters and EYFS framework		Y
Knowledge of child development	Y
Basic PC literacy and good numeracy, literacy and IT skills	Y
A commitment to flexible working	Y
Experience of completing grant applications,		Y

We believe play really matters!

One of our volunteers has been researching the history of the toy library and has produced a fascinating summary of how the service developed. If you would like to read it, then click on the "toy library history" link in the menu on the right hand side.

The Toy Library Tree

The toy library is taking part in Shepshed's Rotary Christmas Tree Festival.

The tree is decorated with toys, decorations made by the children, and baubles bearing the words of feedback we have had from our members about the toy library.

You can see the trees until Sunday evening.

Many thanks to everyone who helped to decorate our tree.

Project Dragonfly

An exciting project to encourage active family play

and quality family time.

This project is kindly supported by local businesses including Hanson, SIP Industrial Products and Campbell Scientific. See the project page in the left hand menu for more details.

http://shepshedtoylibrary.blogspot.com/p/project-dragonfly.html

Christmas Party Tickets

Our Christmas Parties will be held on Weds 14th and Mon 19th December. Tickets are £2.50 per child and include songs, craft, games and a buffet lunch.

Due to great demand tickets must be purchased in advance.

November Evening Opening

Our next evening session will be Thursday 24th November 6:30-7:30pm. We will have special Christmas gift craft activities available for a small fee.

Behaviour Management

Behaviour management is a topic often raised by members at the toy library.

A checklist of what schools can do to instill good behaviour in the classroom has been developed and published by Charlie Taylor, the Government’s Expert Adviser on Behaviour and is entitled "Getting the simple things right”. Consistency and clarity were seen to be the most important factors. The checklist contains many items that can also be applied at home by parents. For example:

• Ensure absolute clarity about the expected standard of behaviour.
  

• Display rules clearly.
  

• Display a tariff of sanctions and rewards.
  

• Ensure that children never miss out on sanctions or rewards.

• Model the behaviour you want to see from your children.
  

• Praise good behaviour.
  

• Celebrate successes.
  

The checklist can be downloaded here http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/behaviour/a00199342/getting-the-simple-things-right-charlie-taylors-behaviour-checklists

Make A Difference Week

This week we have had the help of a number of Year 6 students from Shepshed High School as part of "Make a Difference" week. They have helped check toys, play with the children and prepare craft activities.

A big thank you to all those who took part.

Musical Bumps Taster Session

On November 16th our local Musical Bumps leader (Angela Bogie) has kindly offered to provide a free taster session at the toy library. This will start at 10:30.

Come along and let your little ones enjoy some music and movement.

For more information on Angela's classes see
http://www.facebook.com/MusicalBumps.LoughboroughShepshed

The grub club

A great site from the world cancer research fund for diet, health and fitness for children. Lots of information, things to make and do and recipes too.

http://www.greatgrubclub.com/home

The school fund trust also has helpful information on their site:

http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/schools/projects/packed-lunches

Special seasonal activities for school aged children

On Thurs 27th October we will be having a special session for school aged children from 6:30 to 7:30pm at the toy library. This will include refreshments and several halloween/bonfire related things to make and take home. Please note parents must stay with their children. The cost is £2 per child.

Supporting Local Schools

As well as lending toys to families, the Toy Library also supports local schools by lending toys to support their learning themes.

One regular user is Hathern C of E Primary School, who sent us the following letter:

"Dear Toy Library,

I am writing to say how impressed I have been with the resources and toys we have borrowed from you to support the learning in our foundation stage classroom. The children have so enjoyed the varied and exciting things you have lent us.

The staff we have dealt with have always been helpful and informative and have put together boxes and bags of suitable items for the topics we have done. The toys have always been of very good quality and in good condition.

We would certainly recommend your service to other primary schools."

Mrs Mary Sibson
Foundation Stage/Year 1 class teacher

Membership for schools is £25 per year. Please contact us if you think your school might be interested in using our services.

Work Experience Students Help Out at Toy Library

Amongst the many services offered by Shepshed Toy Library are work expericence placements. We work closely with local organisations to offer young people the opportunity to see what we do. Some are studying vocational courses at Hind Leys College, some are on nursing placements at the Health Centre, and others are working towards the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

We give the students a wide experience of all the different aspects of the Toy Library's work, from organisational tasks to hands -on play sessions. They can discover what they enjoy and are good at. It might also provide inspiriation for their future, be it professionally or as the next generation of parents and Toy Library users. The more people who know about us, the better!

The students have a lot to offer, even though some face their own challenges. They view things from a fresh perspective, are enthusiastic and provide an important link with the community. Everyone gains something from their time here. "We received positive feedback" say Hind Leys College. The students "enjoyed the challenges of work and appreciated being treated like adults".

Local Parents Urged to aim for Healthy Lunchboxes

Healthy options as children go back to school

Parents in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are being given tips to make their kids lunch box healthier.

A new school term is well underway and the NHS in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland is handing out advice on how to make kids lunch boxes healthy as well as fun, to beat hunger and improve concentration throughout the school day.

With the majority of children taking packed lunches to school its important lunch boxes are kept fun and healthy to avoid children snacking between meals.
Gulshinder Johal, senior dietician speaking on behalf of the trusts, said: “Many kids will have started school for the first time while others will be returning for another year and after a while lunchboxes can become quite boring. “We are asking parents to be imaginative with their child’s lunch box and include lots of
healthy snacks such as dried fruit and vegetable sticks. Foods which release energy slowly such as wholegrain or pitta bread will help them stay alert all day. Involve children in the preparation of their lunchbox, this will get them excited about eating what’s inside.

“Foods high in sugar and fat, such as chocolate bars and crisps will make children feel lethargic and soon they’ll be feeling hungry again.”

Gulshinder’s five top tips for a healthy lunchbox are:
• include plenty of dried or fresh fruit
• use wholegrain bread for sandwiches or alternate with pitta bread
• pack up crisps only twice a week
• include a calcium packed yoghurt for healthy teeth and bones
• include milk or water instead of sugary drinks.

For more information on healthy snacks and meals for children log onto the Change4Lifee website at www.nhs.uk/change4life.

Toy Library re-opens Monday Sept 5th

The toy library will re-open after the summer break on Monday 5th September 9:30-12:00.

We hope everyone had a lovely, restful and fun-filled summer - we certainly did.

You might notice some more changes to the building when you visit next. We'd love to know what you think of the refurbishments we have been undertaking.

Another toy library member's view

Another of our members has sent in a review of the service we provide - read what she says below...

"I would just like to say how thrilled I am that I found the toy library at Shepshed. I live in Leicester and the library is 3/4 hour away but it's well worth the round trip and i am always amazed at the variety and the every increasing amount of toys that can be fitted into the mobile.

Before the summer break I hired more toys than normal thinking that my son could have the whole of the summer to enjoy the variety of things that I had hired. Wrong again!!! for all of you that have children you will know what I'm talking about. He has gradually worked his way through everything picking one favourite item that given the opportunity he would play with night and day. This item is the vtec bus which comes in the book bag.... the wheels on the bus. The batteries have lasted and lasted and lasted!!!! It seems to do everything very loud but he en joy's it so much I haven't got the heart to turn it off. thinking that maybe I would purchase one of my own i looked up the price on the Internet only to find it was £20 which I'm afraid is far to expensive. As a result I'm doubly thrilled and thankful that i have the opportunity to use the toy library and hire things that my son would probably never get to play with. Thanks also to the staff who I have always found very helpful especially when I've sent through cryptic e-mails asking for a particular toy with only a description and not a name. I've never been disappointed they have always got the right toy."

Borrowers get their say too!

Over the summer we have been featuring the words of volunteers who have described their experiences at the toy library. We have also been asking borrowers to let us know how they feel. Here is what one said:

"As a member of the Toy Library I have become familiar with the wide range of toys available for loan and have enjoyed reminiscing about toys I remember from my youth.

My two favourite items for loan are the ball pit, which is just pure fun, and the story sacks. The story sacks have great scope for play. Children can read the books alone or with friends or family, and can then use the props inside the sack to act out the play, adding to the story from their own imagination and bringing the characters to life.

As for the ball pit, I only wish it were bigger…or I were smaller!"

Why not let us know what you like to borrow?

Another volunteer speaks about her experiences

Volunteering at the toy library has opened up lots of new experiences such as meeting lots of new mums who have been through, or are going through, situations I thought I was alone in.

My son has learnt lots of social skills through play, giving him vital skills for his future.

The views of another volunteer:

My introduction to Shepshed Toy Library began one day while I was visiting my grandson, who lives in the town.

A group of mothers and their children met at the Toy Library and while chatting, selected the task that they would like to help with on that day.

Although it was a cold and over cast day out side, the Toy Library was bright and cheerful, the atmosphere being both warm and inviting. People I did not know smiled at me and made me feel so welcome.

The children were happy and soon selected the games they would like to play with.

Mothers and volunteers moved to the various sections of the Toy Library and began the play sessions with the children. Other parents or volunteers were getting refreshments ready.

Learning through play operates in the library. Story Sacks are a favourite past time. A story enjoyed can be read and enjoyed, over and over again.

Volunteers started checking in returned toys or games then booking out the following weeks items.Or dealing with other administrative tasks.

My own voluntary work for the Toy Library, takes the form of assisting in fund raising. Valuable in this economic climate. I make toys or knitted or crocheted clothing for popular dolls. These items have proved popular at the open events, or pamper evenings arranged by the Toy Library staff.

I feel I am contributing something of value for the Toy Library. My efforts are giving pleasure to parents and their children. While raising funds for such a wonderful organisation as Shepshed Toy Library. There is a feeling of being valued by the Toy Library, noticeable by myself and other volunteers.

A word from our chairperson

I'm Louise, and I am the chairperson of the toy library. I help make decisions on the day to day running of the toy library and also some of the fundraising events that we hold. I have two children, 5 and 3 years old, I also look after my 2 year old nephew. They all enjoy coming to the toy library and I bring the younger ones to my volunteer session on a Wednesday.

We strive to make the toy library interesting and friendly to adults and children alike, and we are constantly looking for new ideas and input. Why not join us.

Another volunteer review

I was looking for something to fill some free time that I had after finishing full-time work. I wanted to feel that I was giving something to the community of Shepshed.

I had a trial period helping at the Toy Library. The work of the Library was explained and I could choose what I wanted to help with after I had been given an overview of the different tasks that were available. These included supporting the children in their play, making cups of tea and coffee for parents and squash for the children, helping with the administration.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the last 6 months that I have been helping out. It has given me a purpose for two mornings a week but at the same time given me flexibility if I need to take some time away for childcare and holidays. You are never pressurised to be there but they are pleased for any help given. It has helped to keep me active and I have learnt some new skills.

I have met some really nice people; they are a friendly team and very welcoming who work very hard to provide this facility.

Member and Volunteer Reviews

Over the summer, we will be featuring reviews of the toy library from our members and volunteers. If you would like to add your views of the service and facilities we provide, your experience as a volunteer or your experience of borrowing toys, then please feel free to leave a comment or email us at shepshedtoylib@tiscali.co.uk.

To start it off here is a review from one of our "occasional" volunteers i.e. someone who helps out occasionally at special events.

Working as a volunteer for Shepshed Toy Library

I have this year been involved in working with Shepshed Toy Library as a volunteer and although my involvement has been limited it has been a very good experience.

Shepshed Toy Library is an organisation I am proud to be associated with and I am grateful to the staff for their support to me and my business as a volunteer. The Toy Library is a valuable asset to the community providing safe learning and play for children of all ages, and support and guidance for families.

This year I took part in the Ladies Pamper Night, setting up a stall at the event, and every effort was made to ensure I had the space and resources that I needed. Additionally credit to my website was given on the toy library blog after the event.

I found the evening to be very enjoyable and look forward to being involved in future projects and working again with the toy library staff and other volunteers.

Summer Holiday Dates

The toy library will be open for three dates over the summer holidays.

These are:

Wednesday 3rd, 10th and 17th August 10am-12:00pm.

We will be continuing our focus on healthy eating and active play.

Normal opening will resume on Monday 5th September.

Look out for the results of further refurbishments when we re-open in September!

July News

It has been very busy at the toy library the last few weeks.

Many of you will have noticed our new doors which are part of the refurbishment made possible by a grant from the Midlands Co-op.

We have also held two Teddy Bear's picnics which were a great success and raised £77 for toy library funds. On the Wednesday picnic we were joined by the British Heart Foundation, this was part of our topic on healthy eating and the importance of keeping active. This is a topic that is in the news a lot at the moment. The government is recommending to parents that pre-school children have at least 3 hours physical activity per day. Here is a recent news story about the topic:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14080072

The British Heart Foundation offer much helpful advice for parents. Here is a link to their page:

http://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/prevention/tips-for-parents.aspx

The Toy library was awarded £100 in the 3M community awards. We were shortlisted from 47 applications, and although we did not win a major award, this contribution is very much appreciated.

Finally, we have lots of new toys in stock including executive jet, camper van, dressing up clothes, multicultural games, and healthy eating games. We also have lots of outdoor toys and garden games which are perfect for the summer holidays. Our last normal day of opening is Friday 15th July, but we shall open for three Wednesdays in the summer: 3rd, 10th and 17th 10:00-12:00. We hope to see you on one of those days.

Good Toys - Toy libraries provide good quality toys which can be borrowed and enjoyed at home - just like a lending library. Some toy libraries provide specially adapted toys and equipment for children with special needs.

Good Fun - Children learn through play and most toy libraries encourage children to play with the toys on display as well as choosing one to borrow.

Good Friends - Toy libraries are friendly places where parents and other people caring for young children can meet to exchange ideas and share problems.

Healthy Eating

We have been exploring healthy eating at the toy library.

The children (and grown ups!) have tried exotic muffins this week. We have had courgette & lime and also chocolate & beetroot. Do you have an unusual cake/muffin recipe you would like to share with us?

You might find these links of interest:

http://www.netmums.com/food/Healthy_Eating_Guide.338/

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/eight-tips-healthy-eating.aspx

New multicultural toys

We have added these new multicultural toys to our collection.

New Toys

We have some lovely new toys thanks to a grant from East Midlands Airport. We select new toys in response to popular play trends. Why not come and see what we have that might suit your child. We are always willing to give advice on play and toys.

Competition!

Write a review of the toy library or a favourite item that you borrow from the toy library for your chance to win a box of chocolates!

Let us know about your experiences at the play sessions, or when borrowing one of our 2000 items of toy stock, or as a volunteer. What works for you, what benefits are there for others, what areas could we improve?

All entries received by 01/09/11 will be entered into a draw to win a box of chocolates.

Email your entries to shepshedtoylib@tiscali.co.uk

We will publish a selection of the reviews on our website (anonymously if requested).

The Importance of Play

Guided Play – Notes from the Volunteer Training Session

The purpose of this session is to reinforce what we do at Shepshed Toy Library, and why. Our mission statement states that we are here to promote play. In all of the day to day activities at the toy library, this core message can sometimes get buried.

Let’s look at what play is and its purpose. It is not just something to occupy children and keep them out of mischief, but is an important learning vehicle. Without play children have difficulty building relationships, may not be on an intellectual level with others and can develop emotional problems. Play helps children to explore and experience things in life in a safe way. They use their experience from home and life to understand the world.

Pause for a moment and think about what you remember of play from your own childhood.

Einstein said that imagination is more important than knowledge.

Knowledge is limited, but imagination encircles the world.

Today’s children are often prevented from engaging in play because of the hectic lifestyles people lead. Play is often replaced by TV so that parents know where the children are and what they are doing. Society seems to want children to learn from watching something or doing something in one place, rather than building up a rich mixture of experiences and skills. There is also much pressure in today’s society to keep houses clean and tidy. Toys are kept in specific places, closed away from general family life. When children want to play they cannot engage in the heart of the home.

Play should be fun, and it is a safe way to work out what life is about. Children learn many skills through play and learn to solve problems. Children need to be able to exercise choice in their play. They should be able to choose when to play, what to play, play at their own level and explore issues relevant to them. We need to be able to challenge the barriers to play that exist in today’s society: overuse of TV/DVDs, fear of playing outside and unwillingness to allow mess in the house.

Play should also be child-led. It needs to develop at their pace and encompass their experience of life. Play practitioners need to balance observation with active intervention to extend play. Careful observation is needed to enable a judgement to be made as to when to extend the play by introducing more language or other aids etc, as sometimes the child is benefiting from being left alone to be immersed in their own fantasy world.

Play also helps develop long lasting relationships between a child and parent. It is important to allow yourself to be in their world, to join in and encourage.

Play has to be valued by adults. Not just be regarded as a way to keep the child quiet. Parents must see the value of what the child is doing. It is important to see when the child is engrossed and not disturb or interrupt if it can be helped. What the child is doing when playing is valuable to their development, physically, mentally and emotionally. Therefore it's also important to forewarn the child that the play time will be coming to an end and not end it abruptly.

As role models at the toy library, we need to show parents and carers the joy of playing with children and joining in with them. More and more society pushes play away and focuses on formal education. Many people think that play stops when the children go to school. All volunteers and staff must embody the value of play and help to promote it to parents and carers alike.

Volunteer Training Session

On Weds 25th and Fri 27th May we will be running training sessions for our volunteers on the principles, benefits and structure of Play. This will help our volunteers to join in with our Guided Play Sessions.

This training is part of Adult Learning Week and is kindly being part funded by Voluntary Action Leicestershire.

If you would like to know more about the important role of play, please see our guided play leaflets which can be accessed from the menu at the right hand side of this page.

If you are interested in volunteering at the toy library, please feel free to phone us on 01509 601146 or drop in for a chat.

Guided Play Dates

After the half term break, our guided play sessions will continue with healthy eating, outdoor play and physical activities, Father's Day cards and a seaside theme.

Sessions will run in June on the following dates:

Weds 8th, Mon 13th, Weds 15th, Fri 17th, Mon 20th, Weds 22nd, Thurs 30th (evening session).

July's dates will be announced soon.

In July we will also be holding our popular Teddy Bear's Picnic. Dates to be announced.

Road safety sessions

For the past month we have been running road safety sessions where the children have learned about the importance of holding hands, using zebra crossings and using their seat belts in cars. The children have had a lot of fun with the stories and activities linked to this topic.

Many thanks to County Hall for the loan of their safety resources. The toy library also has a road safety sack that can be borrowed for £1.50 a month. Please ask for details.

Ladies Pamper Night

Our Ladies Pamper Night was a great success and raised £248 for toy library funds. Many thanks to all who attended or helped out.

The pictures speak for themselves!

Especial Thanks to:
Laura Stevenson - www.templespa.com/laurastevenson
Bev Kauss - bevfl@googlemail.com, www.bevkauss.myforever.biz/store
Natalie Simpson - nesshop.co.uk
Stephanie - www.avon.uk.com
Victoria - www.phoenix-trading.co.uk
Michelle Huggins - nail art
Louise Bowles - cakes
Sharon Ellis - raffle
Caroline Rands - coffee bar
Alison Jones - bedding plants
Yvonne Simpson - knitted Baby Annabelle outfits
Friends of Donington Le Heath manor house - pot pourri

Musical Bumps Taster Session

A date for your diaries: On Mon 16th May, Musical Bumps will be holding a free taster session at the toy library from 10:00-10:30am. Many thanks to Angela for her generous offer.

Ladies pamper night & guided play sessions

Our Ladies Pamper Night will be held tomorrow from 8-10pm. There are a few tickets left at £5 each to include wine, nibbles and a goody bag. Come and join us for a relaxing social evening.

Also to remind you, we are carrying on with the Spring and growing theme in our guided play sessions and are introducing bugs and mini-beasts and moving on to a seaside theme.

The dates of sessions are:
Weds 4th May
Fri 6th May
Mon 9th May
Weds 11th May
Weds 18th May
Fri 20th May
Mon 23rd May
Thurs 26th May

The half term holiday is Mon 30th May - Fri 3rd June. We will be closed during that week.

Midlands Co-op Community Grant

We were delighted to be awarded a Community grant by the Midlands Co-op for major refurbishment of the toy library.

Here are pictures of some of our members meeting with the Co-op staff to celebrate our award and the newly refurbished Shepshed Co-op store.

Alsion Jones, from the toy library has also been asked to speak at a publicity event to explain how we applied for the grant, what we will use it for and what it will mean to us when the project is complete.

MP Nicky Morgan visits Big Lottery Grant winners The Shepshed Toy Library

Loughborough MP Nicky Morgan visited the Shepshed Toy Library on Friday to discuss funding, their future plans, and even picked up some useful information her own son, Alex.

The Toy Library was awarded a Big Lottery Grant at the end of last year for £1938, much to the delight of the volunteers who run the facilities.

Nichole Browne from the Library gave Nicky an insightful tour which covered their main programme of exchanging and lending toys for parents and caregivers, as well as a look at the on-site ‘Messy Play’ area.

“Nichole and the team do an amazing job running the Toy Library. They work incredibly hard and provide a great service for local parents and caregivers, and are truly deserving of the Big Lottery grant”, Mrs Morgan said.

“Having a young son myself, I am well aware of how quickly children can get bored of toys, and how expensive this cost can be. The Toy Library provide this brilliant service providing a huge variety of toys for children, as well as the different play areas on site to keep the young ones entertained for hours,” she said.

Mrs Morgan said she was also surprised to learn that the Toy Library can host parties, something she says she will definitely be keeping in mind for her son Alex.

Nichole Browne from the Library said:

"We were very pleased to meet Nicky and explain to her how our Big Lottery grant is helping us to provide our valued play and lending services. Our current play topic is Spring, Growing and Mini Beasts and the children have had a lot of fun with our pretend-play flowershop, making tray gardens and decorating our mural with ladybirds.

Now entering our 26th year, we continue to provide a valued service to local people. We have over 550 members from Shepshed, Loughborough and 23 villages throughout the region. Our Big-Lottery-funded play sessions run twice a week and details can be found on our website: www.shepshedtoylibrary.blogspot.com"

The Toy Library is located in the PortaCabin in Hind Leys car park, and is open during term time 9.30am-12noon Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and 6.30-7.30pm on the last Thursday of the month. For more information parents and carers can call 01509 601146.

Next Guided Play Dates

Our Guided Play sessions will continue after the Easter Holidays. We will carry on with the Spring and growing theme, introduce bugs and mini-beasts and move on to a seaside theme.

The dates of sessions are:
Weds 4th May
Fri 6th May
Mon 9th May
Weds 11th May
Weds 18th May
Fri 20th May
Mon 23rd May
Thurs 26th May

The half term holiday is Mon 30th May - Fri 3rd May. We will be closed during that week.

Easter Holiday Closing - Dates

We will be closing for the Easter Holidays. Our last session will be on Friday 15th April, and we will re-open on Wednesday 4th May.

If you have toys due back this week but are unable to make it to the toy library, then please call us on 01509 601146 and we will renew them for you for another month. Renewal fees will then be payable when you bring the toys back.

Our next evening session will be Thursday 26th May 6:30-7:30pm.

We hope everyone has a lovely holiday and look forward to seeing you next term.

Ladies Pamper Night

Ladies can enjoy a night of pampering and relaxation on Friday 6th May from 8-10pm at the toy library.

Beauty treatments and products will be available to try or buy and there will be gifts and cards on sale.

Music for the night has been provided by two local bands, and their CDs will be on sale.

We will also have a range of bedding plants on sale.

Tickets are £5 and include wine, nibbles and a goody bag. Further refreshments will also be on sale.

Stalls will include Temple Spa, Aloe Vera, Phoenix Cards, Nail Art, Manicures, Gifts and crafts, an exhibition by a local photographer, plant stall, and a raffle.

Tickets in advance from the toy library.

Can he fix it? Yes he can!

The Toy Library relies on the support of the community to deliver its services to families throughout Leicestershire. We have a great team of supporters and volunteers who offer their time and skills to help us.

Last Friday, one of our volunteers, Dermot Browne, gave a day of his time to help us with a number of maintenance and improvement tasks. This was made possible by the generous support of his employer BetFair who fund employees to put their time and effort into the community through their Volunteer Day programme.

Despite hot weather and the enquiring glances of families attending our stay and play session, Dermot put up racking so that we can better display our range of story sacks, installed new blinds in the play room, fitted a new childproof access gate and fixed some faulty downpipes.

We are very grateful for all his hard work.

Tesco and Sainsbury Voucher collection

We are collecting Tesco and Sainsbury Vouchers at the toy library. If you are wondering what to do with any vouchers we would be very grateful if you would consider us. We have a collecting box in the foyer.

Next evening opening

Our next evening session is Thursday 31st March 6:30-7:30. We will be running a guided play session on our theme of growing and flowers.

Outdoor Play

We have been awarded a grant by Leicestershire and Rutland NHS trust to promote outdoor play.

Why not come and see what play equipment we have and borrow something now that the weather is improving and the children can play in the garden.

We have a great range of ride-ons, scooters and trikes. Also tents, slides, trampolines and garden games.

Items can be reserved.

Guided play for March and April

During March and April we will be focusing on "growing" as our topic. We will look at composting, making tray gardens and we will have a flower shop in our pretend play area. The children will also be able to make paper flowers in our craft sessions.

The dates for the guided play sessions are:
March
Weds 2nd, Fri 4th, Mon 7th, Weds 9th, Weds 16th, Fri 18th, Mon 21st, Fri 25th, Weds 30th and Thurs 31st (evening session)

April
Mon 4th, Fri 8th, Weds 13th, Fri 15th,

Risk Assessment

We were asked recently by a member to provide a copy of our risk assessment for the toy library premises. A copy is displayed on the noticeboard at the toy library, and is also provided here for anyone who is interested. A copy will also be placed on the schools/nurseries/childminders page which can be accessed from the right hand menu.

SHEPSHED TOY LIBRARY HEALTH AND SAFETY RISK ASSESSMENT
RISK	TO WHOM	CONTROL MEASURE	WHO RESPONSIBLE	WHEN REVIEWED
Fire & inability to evacuate the building	Everyone	All doors to be in good order & doorways and walkways free from obstruction.	Everyone & Safety Officer	Daily plus monthly safety check.
		Fire drill notices clearly displayed.
		Fire extinguisher to be in good condition.	Staff to request visit of Fire officer	Yearly
		Fire alarms to be working.
		Fire exits to be clearly labelled.
		No smoking signs to be displayed.
		No exposed or hanging wires.	Staff & Volunteers	Daily plus monthly safety check.
Accidents caused by Electrical equipment	Everyone	No obstructions to heaters.
		All electrical appliances tested and labelled.	Staff to contact electrician	Yearly
Accidents caused by Chemicals	Children & volunteers	Keep all toxic substances out of reach and in original labelled containers.	Staff & Volunteers	Continually plus monthly check.
		No children in kitchen - notice displayed.
Injuries due to damaged building	Everyone	Check for leaks, lifting floor, protruding screws and nails, broken windows and loose hand-rails, problems with ramp surface and guttering.	Safety Officer	Monthly
Lack of First Aid equipment	Everyone	Ensure First Aid kit is correctly stocked and accident book up-to-date.	Staff & Volunteers	Monthly
ENSURE ALL CARERS KNOW THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN CHILDREN - NOTICE TO BE DISPLAYED
Danger of scolding	Everyone	Everyone to be responsible for their own hot drinks and not to leave any unattended.	Staff & Volunteers to reinforce this	Continually
Children might go outside unattended	Children	Make sure safety gate to play area is closed and in good working order.	Everyone & Safety Officer	Continually plus monthly check.
Children being injured when playing	Children	Signs in place regarding supervision and proper use of toys	Everyone	Continually plus monthly check.
Children swallowing small parts or being entangled with cords etc	Children	Where possible, all toys with small pieces to be played with on high table in play area. All toys and equipment checked.	Staff & Volunteers	Continually
		Warning signs to be displayed on bags of toys borrowed.	Carers also to be made aware of dangers.