About us
Independent
We are an independent parent run group for children with special needs and their parents/carers. We have a library of carefully selected toys and books these are located at Medina House School, Newport.
Toys and books to borrow
All of the group's toys and books are available to borrow, on short or longer term loan, by any family with a special needs child who are members of the IWTLOG. We also have more specific special needs toys and equipment available for lending many of which can be significantly beyond the average family budget. Click here to go to the toys and books to lend pages.
Website
We hope the website will become a useful means of sharing information as well as letting people know we are here. If you have any information which you think would be useful to other parents, please email us at iwtlopgroup@hotmail.co.uk.
Our history
Newport Ladies Circle/Red Cross "Toy Library"
The group was originally established in 1972 by the Newport Ladies Circle. It was set up as a library to enable parents of children with special needs to borrow toys. It then became the "Red Cross Toy Library" which was run by Alice Turner and Beryl Copeland of the LEA's special needs pre-school home teaching and family support service at the time, along with the help of many long serving volunteers. It became much more than just a toy library, with a busy play session being held each week as well as parents getting together over a coffee to chat and share experiences. As many as 30 different families regularly attended from all across the Island.
Independent registered charity
In 1999, due to a change in Red Cross administrative policy, the group could no longer continue under the Red Cross Charity "umbrella". It then became an independent parent run group and registered as a charity in its own right. Its name, "The Isle of Wight Toy Library and Opportunity Group" recognised the extended role it was now playing beyond that of just lending toys.
A weekly session at the Red Cross Toy Library
A Christmas Party at Red Cross Toy Library
Move to Barton Primary
In 2002, a further change in Red Cross group policy meant that we had to look for new premises. A campaign was launched and very fortunately we were rescued by the then head of Barton Primary: "Jeanie" to all. She offered us the use of the Barton After School Club room and storage facilities for the toys. We remained there until the Summer of 2010.
Changes over time
Times have changed since the Red Cross Toy Library days: in many more families both parents are working and the change in free pre-school sessions for those over 3 mean more children will be in pre-school on a Thursday morning. Local groups have been opened in the new Children's Centres around the Island. This had an effect on the numbers attending the group and sadly we reached the decision to close the Thursday play session in July 2010.
A merry Christmas Party at Barton School
A new home and future at Medina House School
However, we are very pleased to have revived the toy lending service provided by the group through our recent move to Medina House School in Newport. This has allowed us to reach more children (by extending the service to those children attending the school) and thus lend more of the toys out on a regular basis. We have received a very warm welcome from the staff at MH and very much look forward to working with them.
We hope to offer other events to families in the future and will continue the website to advertise these and allow parents to view toys to available to borrow online.
Future
We hope that IWTLOG will continue to make a difference to families of children with special needs on the Island for many more years to come. Any support you can give us in this aim will be very gratefully received!
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