A collective of retirees is repairing toys to give to disadvantaged children in many parts of the world.
Terry Cook (pictured), President of Peninsula Senior Citizens Toy Repairers in Ingleside, 28km north of Sydney’s CBD, was about to drive a van full of repaired toys to sustainable retailer Flora & Fauna at North Rocks, 33kms away, when The Donaldson Sisters called.
“Most of the toys we repair go overseas. But we have an agreement to donate to charity We Care Connect and Flora & Fauna for Christmas
“We are a bunch of retirees – pilots, engineers, professors – who get together for a couple of hours a week and repair unwanted toys. It is good for us to communicate, good for the environment, good for the kids who would miss out and gives us a lot of satisfaction. We’ve been going for 45 years,” said Terry.
Research by Flora & Fauna revealed 45 per cent of parents say their child gets bored of a new toy and discards it in just three months. Founder and CEO Julie Mathers said Aussies spend over $1 billion on new toys for their kids every Christmas, and a shocking 26.8 million toys are thrown in the bin.
Flora & Fauna has launched its Surprisingly Better Christmas initiative and will send pre-loved or unwanted toys to Peninsula Senior Citizens Toy Repairers to rejuvenate before they are donated to We Care Connect or resold at Flora & Fauna.
An inspiration to all of us.
