The Frome Toy Library, which had been due to reopen for play sessions this week, have responded to the needs of local families by offering an at-home delivery service for their toy-lending scheme.

Running for over 30 years, this non-profit service has reacted to the latest lockdown announcement and pivoted at speed to offer a delivery service of over 50 different educationally-inspired toy-sacks for pre-schoolers plus family board games, for older children and parents

Run by Purple Elephant, also organisers of Frome Children's Festival, co-director, Tracey Ashford, explains "People felt low, bored and emotionally vulnerable in the first lockdown. The next month may bring similar worries so, based on our experience of providing activity packs for vulnerable families during the spring, we are doing all we can to offer easy access to fun to keep little hands and minds busy and help parents where we can. We have had a wonderful response to our call-out for sponsors and donations so we are able to welcome new members now and have a wonderful selection of toys ready to go. "

The organisation intends to re-instate its stay-and-play sessions as soon as the law allows and, in the meantime, the Toy Library is open to all families in Frome and surrounding villages for delivery. Re-usable play sacks offer the practical benefits of ever-changing toys in the home without spending money in the run up to Christmas. Toy Library borrowing avoids creating piles of plastic, filling the home with unused play-equipment and, in addition to the emotional and educational benefits of play, it creates a cleaner world for us all. (Click on the image boxes on Nub News here to see just some of choices).

For details of membership (£20 per year; £10 for families on benefits), to request a list of board-games and to view a selection of the 50 play-sacks, please contact the @FromeToyLibrary via Face Book or view the full information on the 'Toy Library' page at website www.fromechildrensfestival.org