Colchester Toy Library

We were delighted to be invited to the opening of the new Community Centre in West Mersea, located inside the Co‑op Store on Barfield Road.

Julie and I attended the afternoon session, where we met Angela Carpenter, the Community Support Lead for the project. It was a lovely opportunity to meet new faces as well as reconnect with long‑standing friends of the Toy Library.

We were also able to showcase the Toy Library with our banner and display board. Because the Community Space opens directly onto the busy Co‑op store, we enjoyed a steady stream of interest from passing shoppers, a ready‑made audience for any charity.

The space is bright, welcoming, and a fantastic platform for raising awareness and engaging with the local community. If you’d like to learn more about the Community Space or are interested in using it, the information and QR code are included below.

East of England Co-op

Chris Earey | Chairperson | April 2025

It is with regret that we have decided to close the SEN sessions held on the first Tuesday afternoon of the month. This is due to poor attendance. If anyone is interested in these sessions re -starting, we would be happy to hear from you. Please contact us on [email protected]

Our Toy Library is looking for friendly volunteers to help run our Stay and Play sessions on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:30am to 12:30pm.

If you, or someone you know, would enjoy supporting local families and having fun with toys, we’d love to hear from you!

Please contact Chris Earey at [email protected] for more details.