Community Parent & Toddler Group - where to buy basic equipment?

[Teuch]

Hope you can help. We live in a small and remote community, and since the baby boom started in early 2006 a group of around 8 of us have been getting together weekly. In the summer we have been using local hotels and in the winter, we visit each others' houses.

But babies are now on the move, toddlers really, and our homes and the local hotels are no longer appropriate. We can use the village hall or library but we need some bits and pieces of basic equipment. On a busy day, there could be 10 children under 3.

I envisage we will need some play-matting or similar, a couple of larger playthings (most have small houses so no large toys like trikes), tables & chairs...

Any advice? We may be able to get funding of up to £500 - what would you do with that?

If I were to spend £500 on setting up such a group I'd consider trikes, prams, cosy coupe cars, easels, rockers, slide, wee trampoline and appropriate matting.

Also a kitchen and play food, pots and pans etc, a garage and cars, some animals and books. Also some craft stuff.

And don't forget Freecycle - people often give away toddler stuff like trampolines and seesaws and trikes.

And ebay!

And put up an advert in your local playgroup/church/library asking for donations (though maybe say for a limited time only as people will go on handing you stuff for years!!

The problem can sometimes be storage. Getting a viallge hall/church hall that has sufficint cupboard space can be tricky.

ELC give a discount to groups registered with them. You can do it online.

thanks all, I'll look into these. And yes, the storage is an issue...