We support families to play at home
Our volunteer-run community toy library is full of high quality, newly purchased toys for all families who want to expand their play possibilities.
Kids experience the excitement of discovering new toys, parents and carers enjoy a chat and connection with others, and everyone’s well-being improves as a result.
It’s an activity the whole family looks forward to – rain, hail or shine! – that delivers educational, environmental and social benefits.
The objectives of the Collingwood Toy Library are:
To conduct a toy library in the City of Yarra and surrounding areas.
To make available for loan a wide range of toys and other such equipment to be used for play and to stimulate the cognitive and motor development of all children, including those with special needs.
To make toys and equipment accessible to families who may be isolated or unable to purchase their own.
To provide an informal meeting place for parents and young children.
To provide information, resources and expertise to parents and carers to facilitate choosing toys that will relate to the children’s particular intellectual, physical and social needs.
Support our community
As a community-owned registered charity, we can’t do it alone.
While our membership fees cover our core operations, we rely on philanthropy through grants, partnerships and donations to fund our toy-buying and family fun events.
To discuss sponsorship or partnership opportunities, email our president, president@collingwoodtoylibraray.net.au
From little things, big things grow
Collingwood Toy Library was founded by a small group of parents in 1992, initially operating from a cupboard at the Clifton Hill Maternal Child Health Centre in Darling Gardens. We moved to Victoria Park Community Centre in 2002 and then opened a second branch in Fitzroy in 2022.
Despite our name, we’ve never had a location in the suburb of Collingwood. Instead, our name comes from the council area, which was then called Collingwood but has since been renamed Yarra.
In the last ten years, we’ve experienced significant growth – tripling in size and building a wonderful community of more than 700 families.
Our team
It’s our extended community that keeps the toy library operating smoothly!
We have employed team members who work in the toy library – Amy (pictured), who runs the Abbotsford branch, Bianca (pictured), who runs the Fitzroy branch, and Diane, who helps out when they are away.
We also rely on our wonderful volunteers from the broader community and our member volunteers to count returned toys.
We are governed by a volunteer committee of management led by our president (pictured) Jenny Yuen, who are elected annually and bring a diverse range of professional skills and a shared passion for the importance of play for all children.
Committee of Management
Executive office bearers
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President: Jenny Yuen
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Vice President: Ketevan Nadareishvili
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Treasurer: Samuel Reid
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Secretary and Public Officer: Cecilia Tulloch
General committee members
Amelia Pohl, Jen Rutherford, Conrad Dudley-Bateman, Ciara Godsil, Melanie Yap, Marian Tosif, Emily Wheeler, Laura Groombridge, Jess King, Virginia Spring, Lotte Wong, Billy Lim and Nicholas Miller
Read more about our purpose and the rules that govern how our library is run.
The positive impact that we have
We are very grateful for the ongoing support of our major partners ...
... and extend a big thanks to our sponsors
