Te Awamutu Community Toy Library gets some TLC

Back row: Te Awamutu Community Toy Library president Michelle Richardson (second from right) with members from the Lions Club of Te Awamutu Doug Carson (from left), Russell Easton, Tristan Brown and Chris Johnstone. Front row: Reuben Whistler, Isaac Whistler and Thomas Whistler. Photo / Jesse Wood

Last week the Lions Club of Te Awamutu members put in over 100 voluntary hours, painting the building interior and shelving at the Te Awamutu Community Toy Library.

The Te Awamutu Community Toy Library volunteer committee has had a project to refresh the toy library over the past year, including the presentation, range of toys offered and updating signage.

Their aim has been to get the premises and service up to date so that it is appealing for families to visit and use.

The physical space was dated with many retro touches and outdated wall colour, as well as years of wear and tear.

The entrance had water-damaged panels and was uninviting. The committee considered that painting would be an ideal way to update and refresh the space.

After approaching the Lions Club of Te Awamutu with a proposal to help cover the costs of painting the toy library, the club came back with a generous offer to complete the job.

They assembled a crew of volunteers to coordinate the project, source materials, prep the walls, fix damaged areas and paint the walls and ceilings in the foyer and main room.

The space has been transformed into a light and fresh space that the toy library committee feels will invite families in for years to come.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled with the updated look. Having the Lions Club of Te Awamutu complete this project has been an amazing morale boost for us,” Te Awamutu Community Toy Library secretary Michelle Richardson says.

“As a community toy library, run mostly by volunteers, we have felt really supported.

“It has been a pleasure to see the Lions working together throughout the week on this project, a group of mostly retired members of our community sharing their skills and giving back to the community. We feel humbled to have their help.”

The Lions Club of Te Awamutu are always keen to welcome new members to help with their good work in our community.

For more information, head to Lions Club of Te Awamutu on Facebook.

Jesse Wood is a multimedia journalist based in Te Awamutu. He joined the Te Awamutu Courier and NZME in 2020.

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