It's ideal when a community project works well. It’s even better when those taking advantage of the project can offer some help of their own...

Jenny uses the Alton Community Share – a bi-monthly lending library of toys, games and jigsaws – to keep her grandchildren entertained.

When she picked up a big bag of Vtech bits and pieces – they are electronic learning products, for those whose toy-playing days are far behind them! –  no-one quite new what it contained.

So she set a challenge for grandson Liam – to get sorting and building to find out exactly what the collection contained.

Liam, described as “practical and patient”, sorted the parts into four separate Vtech kits – and even matched all the vehicles to each kit. With help from his grandparents, they photographed the kits and labelled them ready to return to Alton Community Share.

When Jenny returned the Vtech kits she had borrowed, the volunteers at Alton Community Share were delighted to discover they had four complete kits – including a garage and a fairground!

With Jenny and Liam’s help, all the kits are ready for more families to borrow, take home and enjoy. 

Jenny said: “Alton Community Share has been a boon for when I look after my grandchildren – there’s something different for them to play with each time they come.”.

Alton Community Share exists to support families to make sustainable choices, reduce waste, recycle and reuse toys.

It is open every second and fourth Saturday of the month at St Lawrence Parish Church from 10am to midday.

It will be open on March 11 and 25, April 22, May 13 and 27 and June 10 and 24.