Cherry Toy Library icon: a cherry made of toy bricks Cherry Toy Library

Sharing Joy Saving Money Reducing Waste

Borrow a toy, bring it back next week.

A small community toy library in Englefield Green for children aged 3 months to 8 years, run by local parents. Pop in on a Wednesday or Friday, pick a toy with a refundable £2 deposit, take it home for 2–3 weeks — then bring it back, get your £2 back, and swap for another.

Wed · 16:30–17:00 · The Hub Fri · 13:00–14:00 · The Village Centre

How it works

Four small steps, no booking, no fuss.

Drop in at either session, pick any toy, leave a £2 refundable deposit, and bring it back when you're done. That's the whole system.

  1. 01

    Pop in

    Drop in at either session — Wednesday at The Hub or Friday at The Village Centre. No need to book ahead.

  2. 02

    Pick a toy, leave a £2 deposit

    Choose any toy from the collection. £2 refundable deposit per toy, paid at the door — you get it back when the toy comes back.

  3. 03

    Take it home for a fortnight

    Keep the toy for 2–3 weeks. Play with it, get bored of it, learn it — whatever happens, happens.

  4. 04

    Bring it back, swap

    Drop it back at the next session and pick something different. Another family will be glad of it.

We're an unincorporated community group running a pilot — no penalties if a toy breaks or gets damaged. We're learning together and shaping the rules as we go.

Come and see us

Two sessions a week, both in Englefield Green.

Wednesday

The Hub

57 Larchwood Drive,
Englefield Green,
TW20 0SL

Late-afternoon session — handy if you're picking an older sibling up from school and want to stop in with a toddler on the way home.

16:30 – 17:00

Friday

The Village Centre

Victoria Street, Englefield Green,
Egham, Surrey,
TW20 0QX

Lunchtime session — better suited to under-fives, parents on a weekday off, or grandparents on Friday duty.

13:00 – 14:00

No need to book. First time? Just turn up — we'll show you around.

Cherry, in a session

Why a toy library?

Toys lose their shine. Sharing makes them last.

Cherry was started by a local mum of two boys who watched her own kids lose interest in toys faster than she could buy them. Toys piled up. Toys gathered dust. Toys ended up in landfill or at the back of a cupboard.

A toy library felt like the obvious answer — children get the variety they want, families spend less, and fewer toys end up in the bin. Same toys, more children, more play, less waste.

What you get out of it

Five small wins for a borrowed toy.

Here's what borrowing a toy instead of buying one actually does for a family.

  • ·

    Save money on short-use toys

    Leave a £2 deposit, get a fortnight of play, get the £2 back. A new toy buys the same fortnight of play — and then lives in a cupboard.

  • ·

    Less clutter at home

    When the toy goes back, it goes back. No hunting for the missing piece next year.

  • ·

    Variety without constant buying

    A toddler's interests turn over every few weeks. The library turns over with them.

  • ·

    Kinder to the planet

    One toy played with by ten children is ten toys' worth of plastic that never had to be made.

  • ·

    A friendly half-hour with other parents

    Half the value is the chat at the door. Cherry is also somewhere local you can show up to and meet other families.

Lend a hand

Volunteers welcome. Even an hour a fortnight helps.

Cherry runs on parent-power. The more hands at a session, the friendlier it feels — and the more time we have to actually talk to families instead of running around.

We're glad of help with setting up toys, welcoming families at the door, giving toys a quick clean between borrows, and packing away. It's an hour or two, around school runs, no commitment beyond what works for you.

Get in touch
Volunteers, mid-setup

Say hello

The warmest hello is in person.

Cherry is small and volunteer-run, so the easiest way to reach us is to come and see us. Pop in on a Wednesday or Friday, have a look around, ask anything you'd like.

Got a quick question between sessions? Drop us a WhatsApp — one of the volunteers will get back to you.

Message us on WhatsApp

Where & when

Wednesday at The Hub

57 Larchwood Drive, Englefield Green TW20 0SL

16:30 – 17:00

Friday at The Village Centre

Victoria Street, Englefield Green, Egham, Surrey TW20 0QX

13:00 – 14:00