September 2023 Newsletter

A few reminders ...

We are heading into a busy time for everyone, so the Committee of Cockburn Toy Library wanted to let you know a few things as a valued member of our community!

Welcome to the first day of Spring in the four-season model,

and the middle of Djilba in the Noongar seasons.

Please read along our newsletter for important information regarding your toy library.

RSVP your attendance at the AGM

All our members are invited to the Annual General Meeting at our Atwell branch on Saturday 21 October at 10:00am.We appreciate your participation in the meeting - you will hear about the year that was and what is in store for 2024.West Oz Wildlife will visit with their animal friends, and there will be light refreshments provided - please bring a plate if you can.

We would love to see some new members join our Committee also!

Click the image to RSVP today!

Teddy Bears Picnic

Will you be going down to the woods on Wednesday 18 October? The City of Cockburn runs this wonderful event for parents and young children every year. We will be helping to facilitate the Cockburn Community Toy Swap - so bring along any unwanted toys and swap for something new! Catch us there at Manning Park from 10:00am until 1:00pm.

October Closure Dates

To coincide with the two events above, there will be no borrowing sessions on the following dates:

Wednesday 18th October

Saturday 21st October

If your toys are due, please just hold on to them for a little longer ☺

Caring for our Toys

Please remember that the toys in our collection are for everyone in the community to enjoy. We have noticed an uptick in broken and missing items recently.

If you return a toy with pieces missing, you will be encouraged to borrow it again for another fortnight so that you can find the missing piece to complete the toy. 

For toys which are lost or broken permanently, the Committee may request that you replace the item or pay for the cost of a replacement toy item.

Ice Skating Fundraiser

We have partnered with Cockburn Ice Arena to sell discounted ice skating tickets for $22.00 each, including skate hire! A portion of the ticket price comes back to Cockburn Toy Library. These tickets can be bought now, and remain valid for any general skate session in the next 12 months. Get yourselves sorted for the school holidays ahead of time ❄⛸

Click the ice skating image here which will link you to the fundraising page where you can buy tickets!

** Fundraiser closes on 9 September 2023.

New toys & New knowledge!

President Renae, toy librarian Marissa and community volunteer Gina participated in the Toy Libraries Australia training weekend recently. This was an opportunity for members of the toy library community to come together and learn from each other, and also included a toy purchasing event at The Playroom - expect to see the unique toys we chose appearing in the toy library this month! We were also the lucky recipients of a few door prizes too 😁

Special Guest Volunteers

You might have seen some familiar faces at the two branches in July - we invited local community members to volunteer at the toy library and get to know our organisation better. In the future this connection with government will help us when we are applying for funding and grants!

September Closure Date

There is a public holiday at the end of the month and so we will be closed for the long weekend. Please do not attend the toy library on Saturday 23 September,

as both Atwell and Coolbellup branches will be shut!

Any toys due back will be extended to the following week.

Missing Pieces

Losing bits of a toy is a very normal part of being a member! Don't stress too much 😉

When you borrow items, it is always a good idea that you check you have all the pieces of the toy. Please let us know if you notice a toy is incomplete, either in the toy library or once you have got it home. If you return a toy with something missing, you will be encouraged to borrow it again for another fortnight so that you can find the missing piece and keep it all together.

Most missing pieces turn up within a few weeks, and we are always excited to reunite toys!

Upcoming Annual General Meeting

Pencil it in your diaries, we are looking to hold our AGM on Saturday 21 October at Atwell.

This is a family friendly event with snacks, entertainment and it means a great deal for us to have as many members attend and provide feedback. An official notice to all members will be released closer to the date.