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• Networking with other toy libraries in the area and across Derbyshire
• Bulk buying
• Training that is relevant and specifically for toy libraries
• Support with setting up new projects such as with Women's aid
• Publicity
• Recruitment of volunteers
• Advice on setting up own steering group for toy libraries within Children's centres in North East Derbyshire
• Loaning requested items for families within the network

I am very satisfied with all the services I have received as a member of the network and I feel it helps me to fulfil my role as a toy library worker through having a valuable support network on hand.

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• 4 consultations with Ann-Marie McMillan who supports members and oversees development of toy libraries in Derbyshire. Advice on policies/procedures/admin, etc.
• Mail bulletins - networking opportunities, sharing good practice, training opportunities, toy library events, etc.
• Support for local group to write funding application - £7,000 funding received in March 2008. Toys/equipment to this value were purchased and placed in storage at Bainbridge Hall - these toys to be incorporated into the Bolsover Toy Library stock to benefit local families, pre-school settings, children's centre family groups, child minders, etc.
  
• Storage for the above toys between for one year
  
• Storage racks for the above toys at Bainbridge Hall + rent paid for one year
• Van hire provided to transport the above toys from Belper to Bolsover
• Provision of camera and printer to use when compiling catalogues, CD player to use at Stay and Play events, cushions, back supports, bean bags for use in Stay and Play group sessions
  
• Support with setting up satellite toy libraries. Storage units provided at Bolsover Primary School for satellite toy library to be launched in September 2008
• Provision of Play Matters magazine
• Staff training - 2 of our crèche workers/toy library workers to attend training on 26th September
• Help/advice re recruiting volunteers for satellite toy libraries

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Chesterfield is currently in the development process of setting up eight Children's Centres across the area. This means it is a very busy time for our teams, working with families and children and establishing groups in response to local needs. We are also very busy making links with other agencies and community groups. It is for this reason that the offer of support from Derbyshire Toy library Network has been so valuable. We have suggested the toys we think each Centre required and they have researched the best available, which are not too expensive, checked with us that we are in agreement, ordered them and are storing them until the Centres are in a position to receive them. They have also given us discount for our order.

This service has meant our staff have not had to go through the timely process and have been able to continue with their other work.

We have been extremely grateful to the DTLN for their guidance, support and cost effectiveness and would recommend their service

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The Toy Library Network has supported the development of the Toy Library across Amber Valley Children's Centres in many ways over the past year;

• Bulk purchases have enabled the Toy Libraries to expand the range of toys in a cost effective way.
• Staff have accessed training on the running and development of the Toy Libraries.
• The Children's Centres have benefited by the support and expertise of the Toy Library Network.
• Shadowing opportunities for staff has enabled staff to share best practise and develop the service.
• Support for families with special needs children has improved via links with Umbrella local support groups eg The Cottage in Belper.
• Continued support would be of great benefit to the successful development of Toy Libraries in all Children's Centres across Amber Valley.

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Through DTLN we have also received a large quantity of toys which will be made available for inter toy library loan to the Children's Centre currently being set up in Belper.
We have been able to seek advice and information through DTLN which has helped us with a number of different decisions during the grant spending process.

There has been frequent communication from DTLN with us regarding further training courses which provide a good opportunity to not only gain training but also to meet with other toy libraries and exchange information and ideas.
All in all as a community based group we are in full support of DTLN and have benefited greatly by the input they have made to our project. We are looking forward to the ongoing support that they provide.

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We run two sessions each week, on Thursday afternoons and Friday mornings, if it wasn't for these volunteers, our Thursday afternoon session would not have been able to continue they have become much valued by the parents and children alike, and their skills and craft activities have been much appreciated.

We fully support any funding application that The Toy Library Network may make, and wish them every success for the future.

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Ann-Marie has helped us to update our data base by providing the appropriate software and showing us how to use it. This has been very useful in organising our library systems. She has also brought in samples of recommended educational toys and equipment for us to purchase. In addition we have been fortunate enough to receive complimentary toys from the DTLN which we very much appreciate.
We often have no opportunity or time to research good quality toys so we find it especially helpful to have someone whose job it is to research and advise us.

Ann-Marie always keeps us up to date with the latest developments including training available for toy library workers, grants, toy magazines etc. and we have appreciated having someone at the other end of the phone to answer our queries.

Gamesley Toy Library has been in existence for 21 years and has been continually successful and well used, it is funded through our nursery school and external grants. In the early days all our support and advice came from the Toy Libraries Association in London so having a local person to help and guide us has been especially valuable and we would want to keep this facility. We are keen to extend our toy library to include our out-of-school club and child minder's group and we still require help to develop so I sincerely hope that funding will be continued in to the future.

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You have also kindly helped with the loan of equipment for our positive play work. Our plans to establish a permanent positive play room are now moving on apace. With increasing need for the intervention in our school we are about to commence training with the help of Clay Cross Positive Play Centre. We hope to start using the room I showed you later this term.

Thank you for all the help you have given to Mrs Dalton in this new venture. We are also pleased to have discovered the Toy Library.

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The choice of toys available to play with are really good and suitable for all ages, obviously a great deal of thought has gone into the choosing of these toys, there is really something for everyone and if course always the option to borrow them.

The two ladies Ruth and Lisa who run the group have worked incredibly hard to make this such a friendly and welcome place and cannot do enough to please the parents and children alike. They must both be commended as I know they put so much work, time and commitment behind the scenes to make the group what it is.

I think this group has helped to create the much needed Derbyshire Toy Library Network and long may it continue.

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The toy Library will be based in the Primary school and Anne Marie's experience of running a Toy Libary within a school setting has been invaluable.

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I am a Children and Young People's Development Worker based at South Derbyshire CVS, since my commencement in post I have had an ongoing relationship with the Derbyshire Toy Library Network Co-ordinator, Ann-Marie McMillan, within two capacities.

The first is through the Derbyshire Children's Trust GRID (Group Reference Influencing Development) where Ann-Marie sits as a representative and acts as a voice for the VCI (Voluntary, Community and Independent) Sector.

The second is through my development work, where I provide support and information to Children's and Young people's groups. I have found the DTLN to be an extremely valuable resource in my work. I have contacted the DTLN regarding ideas for funding, to link groups to Toy suppliers at cost prices and finally, to provide groups with access to publications, training and mentoring.

I have found Ann-Marie to be extremely supportive, helpful and informative, responding promptly to all phone calls and email enquiries.

I will continue to point groups in the direction of the DTLN and use their links for resources, toys and information.

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The network has given support in many ways including the promotion of our Toy Library through the DTLN website and inclusion in the DTLN literature.

We have benefitted from the bulk buying discounts made available to us through DTLN and also the recommendation of particular toys and resources to source the best quality and cost.

Being able to share views and ideas with other Toy Libraries has been important to us as we have been able to implement best practices within our Toy Library and also to share some of our existing practices with others.

The training we have been able to access through the DLTN has been of excellent quality and usefulness.

Most of all, we feel that the work that DTLN has done to raise the profile and usefulness of Toy Libraries with strategic partners such as the DCC Children's Centre's and Fair Play to name a couple is so important to ensure the continuation of the Toy Libraries in Derby

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Your contribution was invaluable and we can't thank you enough for giving up a Sunday and coming to help. Your stand was fantastic and attracted lots of interest from children and carers. I noticed you had a crowd of children round you all day, and everyone was obviously enjoying your play.

Thanks once again.

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Over the last two years, Wirksworth Toy Library has undergone a transformation thanks to a grant for £5400 received from the Local Network Fund (LNF). The DTLN, in particular co-ordinator Ann-Marie McMillan, has been instrumental in assisting us with the LNF grant application. Without her support, the grant application would have been an onerous task, and with our other commitments, would have been completed at a much slower rate or perhaps not at all. As the DTLN are very familiar with such grant applications, they were able to assist us with all aspects of the application process and we are sure that their backing also helped us to achieve the grant.

Thanks to the LNF grant, Wirksworth Toy Library now has an electronic toy cataloguing/loan system and promotional literature which is included on the DTLN website, allowing us even more publicity. The DTLN advised us on a suitable Graphic Design team to use for our publicity material and also gave us a suitable contact for promotional T-shirt printing / tabard printing, which we again used. Wirksworth Toy Library has been run entirely by unpaid volunteers since 1983 and, until 2007, has relied upon word-of-mouth and homemade photocopied flyers for its publicity. We are now part of a Network that offers us guidance and support along with other Toy Libraries. As we are parent volunteers, we would otherwise remain ignorant of developments in toy library services.

We have also benefited from free training via the DTLN on topics such as Marketing. We are kept informed of training available and are keen to attend these events whenever possible. As DTLN news is circulated via email, we are kept updated even when we are unable to attend meetings and events. The DTLN also offer us discounted CRB checking, which we plan to take up.

It is hard to summarise the benefits of being a member of the DTLN in one letter of support, but we very much hope that the service will continue and develop further."

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