IT may be hard to believe but Colchester’s much loved Toy Library began its life in its founder’s front room nearly 40 years ago.

Formed in 1986 it allows parents from all walks of life bring their youngsters along to Prettygate Library, where they can play with toys at a nominal charge.

Then, if a particular toy takes their fancy, a child will be able to borrow it for a period before handing it back on their return.

It is a relatively simple concept, but it took an idea from one person, and the efforts of a small group of volunteers in the charity’s early days, for it to get off the ground.

The founder, Pam Cook, set up the toy library from her own front room.

Having previously been a teacher in London, she moved to Maldon Road and then went into early years care, running Christ Church playgroup.

After a mother of a boy who had Downs’ Syndrome was put in touch with Mrs Cook, the playgroup supervisor came up with an idea of a volunteer-led toy library, whereby parents can come in with their children to play with toys they may not be fortunate enough to have at home.

Then, if they wished, they could take a few toys home with them, to return when they next came along.

Now 90 years old, Mrs Cook is no longer involved due to ill-health – but one of her fellow volunteers who has been involved since 1988 is still very much at the heart of the charity.

Christine Earey, who is 72 helps runs the sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from Prettygate Library.

It the past the Colchester Toy Library has also run from Maldon Road, Trinity Street and Winsley Road.

Mrs Earey said the library achieves two main things, the first of which is offsetting the expense for parents by allowing them to borrow toys rather than buy their own; what it also allows is for children to play with one another in a safe community environment.

She said: “People are saying to me that the toys they buy, their kids get fed up with them and they would rather spend their money on something else – that’s where we come in.

“Children learn through play, and you need toys to do that. Everything costs so much that if you can borrow a book or borrow a toy [then it really helps people out].”

As with all small charities, Colchester Toy Library survives through grants and donations; the amount it charges for use of the toy library, £10 for six months is a nominal fee, in place to fund running costs rather than see the charity make a profit.

The longevity of Colchester Toy Library is impressive, of course, but part of the reason it still runs is because it is still needed.

As Mrs Earey says, the number of people who make use of the library are from a surprisingly wide-ranging background.

“The families do come from all different walks of life – you can't be judgmental about who needs the service and who doesn't, because it serves a lot of people,” she said.

“Some mothers are on their own with their children whilst their husband is at work, and it's good for them to come here and not pay a lot of money per session.

“We are quite unique to this area I think it is the fact that it is a well-run organisation. I used to work in the playgroup and I love being with children, but you can see how happy they are to come along and they do enjoy it.”

For the time being, Colchester Toy Library will keep going, not least because it is valued so highly by those who use it.

Mrs Earey, along with her fellow volunteers, are also committed to keeping it going, and a recent grant donated to the charity by Saffron Building Society’s community fund has gone a long way towards ensuring it will keep running into next year.

The majority of donations go towards the £660 fee they for using a room in Prettygate Library each month, but Mrs Earey added a more up-to-date laptop computer, as well as a working printer, would benefit the charity enormously.

She added: “We are trying desperately to upgrade our printer and laptop – I'm going to see if there's someone out there who might have second hand one we can buy at a cheaper rate, rather than get a brand new one.”

It’s charities like these, which stem from such a simple idea of helping young children and parents, which make one realise just how much of a difference a few volunteers can make to people’s lives.