The Salvation Army to open free toy library in Clitheroe

The toy library, which is free and being launched and run by The Salvation Army, will open soon (date to be announced), allowing members of the local community to loan toys for

a period of two weeks.

Located at the Salvation Army’s Clitheroe church and community centre on Lowergate, the new initiative will be open every Thursday from 9-30am to 11am. Items available in the toy library will be for children up to the age of four years old and will include developmental and educational toys which can be "loaned" as they would a library book, to those in possession of a toy library membership which is free, to people across the Ribble Valley. On the return of toys, each will go through a full damage check and cleaning process before being loaned out again.

Aux-Captian Elizabeth Smith, joint leader of the Clitheroe church and community centre said: “Entertaining children can often be expensive with developmental and educational toys being the most beneficial to a child’s growth and development but to some families those kind of toys are not always accessible or affordable. The launch of our toy library is another level of support that we can now offer to the local community which will also bring a lot of new people together whilst giving children the best start in life. A regular change in toys stimulates new interest without the hefty price tag!”

The new initiative will also operate as a toy café providing play sessions so parents and guardians can bring children to play with toys at the community centre if they do not wish

to take them home. The toy library is the first new programme to be rolled out since The Salvation Army moved into its new premises on Lowergate which, due to its significantly bigger size, allows the International Christian church and charitable organisation to further serve the community in modern premises.

The toy library will allow the local community to discover the convenience and benefits of borrowing toys rather than buying them and more activities are set to be announced and rolled out by the Salvation Army Clitheroe over the coming year.