The YMCA has received funding from Bundaberg Regional Council to help support its successful Toy Library program.
A sum of $10,000 was approved at last week’s Council meeting for Bundaberg YMCA and the Bundaberg Disability Resource Centre incorporating the Toy Library.
It’s welcome news for Toy Library school services coordinator Melissa Avery, who said the funds would help to provide activities for the community to participate.
“The funding will enable us to host another World Play Day event this year in May and provide funds to host other smaller community events to promote the Toy Library and engage with families in the community,” she said.
“It will also fund staff hours to build stronger relationships with families, Early Education Centres, play groups and Family Day Care providers as well as the purchase of new some resources to update the Early Years collection.
“Finally, we will be able to obtain new promotional material which will be provided to kindergartens, childcare centres and early intervention specialists across the region.”
Melissa said the $10,000 was integral to help the Toy Library and YMCA grow with community needs.
“As a low-cost, not-for-profit service we rely on grants funding to provide our service to the community,” she said.
“Funding like this is important to the Toy Library as it assists with operational costs that cannot be funded from other sources of grants such as staffing, telephone, website costs and stationery.”
In 2019 the Toy Library supported 46 families with special needs children, 30 schools, 39 other organisations and 96 community members.
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