In a bid to help families with cost-of-living pressures and reduce landfill, Blayney Rotary is looking to open a toy library; a place where members can borrow toys, musical instruments and games in the same way one borrows books at a public library.

“We haven’t got an official start date yet as we’re still building the library contents,” Blayney Rotary’s public relations officer Sally Ryan said.

“But it will be open to the community and people will be able to borrow toys just like they would borrow a book, which will help ease the cost of living for young families with kids who grow out of toys rather quickly.

“And also save it all going to landfill, which is a big priority for us as well.”

The Blayney Toy Library will be affiliated with Toy Libraries Australia, a body that represents more than 280 not-for-profit toy libraries around Australia.

It is a model that has been tried and tested in many other places with great success, Sally said.

“So you become a member and pay a small membership fee and then you’re able to borrow any items from the library and return them as you need them,” Sally said.

“It has been a great success with young families and also grandparents who have kids who come and visit… they can hire the toys for their grandkids and they don’t have to have storage for bulky toy items.”

Blayney Rotary hopes to have the new toy library open in August, but there is no opening date set yet while members work to build up an inventory.

“At this stage, we are looking for donations and volunteers to help man the library once it is open,” Sally said.

Every Saturday in July, Rotarians are opening the future site of the library — in the Uniting Church Hall in Adelaide Street, Blayney — where they will be taking donations of toys and fielding enquiries about the library from those interested in volunteering.

“We’re looking for all sorts of toys,” Sally said. “From baby toys to gaming consoles or Lego… anything that people might have grown out of.”

As well as toys, Sally said they are also interested in construction sets, board games, puzzles, science sets, imaginative play items and dress-ups.

All toys must be in good condition and they are unable to accept soft toys or books.

“We are also going to have a special needs section, so anyone who has grown out of, or no longer needs any special needs toys, we would love those. Occupational therapy-type toys are also in high demand,” Sally said.

“I think it will be great for Bayney because if you don’t have a car or say if you’re a one-car family and dad takes the car to work, you’re sort of a bit stuck there as a kid and a mum.

“So it will be good for kids to be able to stroll down and grab something new. There are a lot of grandparents in town, too, that I think will utilise it a lot when kids come to visit or in holidays.”

Blayney Rotary are accepting donations for the Toy Library at the Uniting Church Hall (92 Adelaide Street, Blayney) from 9am to 2pm on Saturday, July 20 and July 27.