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Toy library (TREATS)

TREATS (The Resource, Equipment and Toy Store) offers over 3,000 toys and resources for hire. The store is located in Bere Regis for members who wish to select their resources from our shelves and also offers a unique delivery service across Dorset for those unable to travel to TREATS.

TREATS can be accessed by everyone who has children or who works with children.

We offer a range of annual memberships:

  • £6.50 for an individual
  • £9 for childminders
  • £20 for groups of less than 50
  • £33 for groups with more than 50, schools and other statutory organisations

Hire charges are mostly 50p per item per week, although some larger items are £2 (max.).

TREATS stocks a wide variety of items which are allocated into various categories:

  • Musical instruments
  • Baby toys and equipment (high chairs, travel cots and stair gates)
  • Multi-lingual resources
  • Play equipment, (including soft play)
  • Role-play toys and construction apparatus
  • Sit/ride toys, trikes, scooters
  • Sensory toys
  • Story sacks, big books and rhymes
  • Themed resource boxes for the foundation stage curriculum, including topics such as Mini-Beasts, Seaside, Bears, People Who Help Us and Feelings
  • Information leaflets and boxes for specific circumstances and conditions

For full details of all equipment including suggested age groups and colour pictures of each item, please click on the links to the right.

Why buy when you can loan?

TREATS resources and toys enable you to offer an extended range of play and development opportunities for your child without the expense of purchasing new toys. It is an ideal solution to those who have children visiting from time to time, allowing you to loan toys which keep pace with the child's development and interests, and No storage problems!

You may wish to:

  • Loan a number of items for a party, wedding or christening
  • Try before you buy
  • Use toys to help your child develop a particular skill
  • Loan a range of toys on a particular theme
  • Supplement the resources of your group or setting
  • Provide a 'surprise' element
  • Encourage children to select their own toys and make choices
  • Have a different selection of toys for your guests when they come to stay

Newsletter

The newsletter is produced every two or three months and gives details of what is happening in the toy store and any special events that may be planned. It also contains news about new resources or additional craft items for sale. To view the latest edition of TREATS news please click the link on the right hand side of the page

TREATS can help you!

Members can also purchase varied arts and crafts equipment, specifically chosen to offer different ideas and bought direct from wholesalers to provide exceptional value. We keep a regular stock of card, paper, scissors, paint, glue, brushes, stampers and rollers and also have seasonal and other items according to availability. Please contact us if you would like a copy of our current craft list.

How you can access TREATS?

Bere Regis Headquarters

You are invited to visit our Bere Regis HQ during our opening hours and select your resources:

  • Tuesday 11am - 4.30pm
  • Wednesday 11am - 6pm
  • Thursday 11am - 4.30pm

Please note that the office may be manned at other times and we do have an answer phone for out-of-hours messages.

Our Delivery Service

We have established more than 20 TREATS Access Points (TAP's) throughout the county, where we can deliver pre-ordered toys for members. The service is run on a fortnightly rota for no additional charge. For detailed information about location and opening times of these TAPs please click the link on the right.

TAP's are located in Beaminster, Blandford, Bincombe Valley, Bovington, Bridport, Broadmayne, Christchurch, Corfe Mullen, Ferndown (2), Gillingham, Lyme Regis, Littlemoor, Portland, Shaftesbury, Sherborne, Sturminster Newton, Swanage, Verwood, Wareham, West Moors, Weymouth and Wimborne.

Healthworks

A wide range of health education materials are now available from TREATS. Please click on the resource list at the side of this page. Health professionals are welcome to come to TREATS and browse the resources. Delivery can be arranged via our TREATS Access Points or by NHS courier service to Poole and Bournemouth

Want to know more?

If you would like to get more involved with the project we are always looking for volunteers to help out and we also have a Friends of TREATS Group working to raise funds to extend resources.

For further information on equipment, membership or TAP's please contact the TREATS team (details below):

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