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Hi everyone ,Follow along for updates on the Torbay Big Toy Swap. In collaboration with Torbay Communities and No Crap Parties.
Please see the FAQ's below or message privately for specific questions. We hope to see you there :)
🎁 THE BIG TOY SWAP
Frequently Asked Questions
Saturday 14th November | 10am–12 noon
The Big Toy Swap is a free community event run by The Big Toy Swap (by No Crap Parties), kindly supported by Torbay Communities, with the venue generously provided by the church.
Our aim is simple: help make Christmas more affordable, give preloved children's items a new home and reduce the amount of perfectly good stuff going to landfill.
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🎄 What is The Big Toy Swap?
A completely free event where parents, grandparents, carers, nurseries, playgroups, children's homes and others can donate preloved children's items and take home things that other children no longer need.
You don't have to donate anything to take something, and you don't have to take anything if you donate.
It's all about sharing, sustainability and making Christmas a little easier for local families.
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📅 When is it?
Saturday 14th November
10am–12 noon
You can drop in at any point during the event, but we recommend arriving early, particularly if you're hoping to find something specific.
We will be collecting and displaying donations before and during the first hour of the event.
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📍 Where is it?
Church Hall opposite St Mary the Virgin Church
Fore Street
St Marychurch
Torquay
TQ1 4PZ
The hall is opposite the church entrance. You will see the precinct centre opposite, and the hall entrance is to the left.
You can enter the church grounds from either Fore Street or Church Street.
What3Words:
hope.richer.verse
🚗 Parking
There is very limited parking at the venue. There is local on-street parking and car parks within approximately a 5-minute walk.
🚻 Toilets
Yes, toilets are available.
☕ Refreshments
TBC
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🧸 DONATING
What can I donate?
We're looking for children's items from baby age up to approximately 8 years old, including:
- 🧸 Toys — clean and mostly undamaged
- 🧸 Cuddly toys
- 🎲 Games and puzzles — please make sure all pieces are included
- 🎄 Children's Christmas-themed clothing
- 👗 Fancy dress costumes
- 📚 Children's books
- 🎁 Stocking fillers — small, stocking-sized gifts
- 🎨 Craft items
New items are absolutely welcome, but everything doesn't need to be new.
The idea is to give good-quality preloved items another life.
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❌ What can't I donate?
Please don't bring:
- Food
- Toys or items that require a plug/electric connection
- Very damaged, broken or dirty items
- Car seats
- Bouncers
- Highchairs
- Other large baby equipment
What about large items?
We have very limited space and storage, so please check with the organisers before bringing a large item.
If you have something that you think would be particularly useful or popular, please message us first. We may be able to accept it, but we need to consider what we can do with anything that doesn't find a new home on the day.
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Do items need to be new?
Absolutely not!
Preloved is what we're all about. Please just make sure that anything you donate is:
- Clean
- In mostly good condition
- Complete, with all pieces where applicable
- Something you would be happy for another child to receive
Minor signs of normal use are absolutely fine.
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📦 Where do I drop donations off?
We would love to receive donations before the event, as this gives us time to sort and display everything ready for the swap.
More Donation points and drop-off times will be advertised on the page nearer the event.
So far confirmed:
Torbay Scrap store, 6 Fore St, St Marychurch, Torquay TQ1 4NE
4th November - drop off at the store between 4pm and 6pm
10th November - drop off at the store between 4pm and 6pm
You can also bring donations on the day.
If bringing donations on the day, please try to bring them during the first hour, so we can process and display them and avoid having lots of donations left at the end.
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🚙 Can you collect donations?
Unfortunately, no.
We are a small team of volunteers and don't have the time or resources to collect donations as well as organise and run the event.
Please use one of the advertised donation points or bring your items along on the day.
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📦 Is there a limit to how much I can donate?
There is no set limit, provided your donations fit within the guidelines above.
We do ask that, where possible, you bring donations during the first hour of the event.
In the unlikely event that we receive significantly more donations than there are attendees, we may need to limit further donations on the day.
This is simply to avoid ending up with large amounts of stock that need to be transported and stored by volunteers at their own expense and effort.
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🎁 SWAPPING & TAKING ITEMS
Do I have to donate something to take something?
No!
There is absolutely no obligation to donate in order to take items home.
If you need something for your children, grandchildren, or the children you care for, you're very welcome to come along and choose something even if you don't have anything to donate.
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Can I donate without taking anything?
Yes!
There is no obligation to take something home if you donate.
If you are donating a particularly large amount, though, please bear in mind that we have limited space and want to avoid having large quantities left over at the end.
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Is there a limit on how much I can take?
At the moment, we expect there to be no set limit.
However, this may be adjusted on the day depending on the number of attendees and the amount of stock available.
The aim is to make sure as many families as possible have the opportunity to benefit.
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What happens to items left at the end?
Everything must find a home!
Anything remaining at the end will either be taken by attendees or donated to a local charity.
If you are part of a nursery, playgroup, children's home or similar organisation, and would like to take a larger quantity of remaining items at the end, please speak to the organisers.
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👨👩👧👦 WHO IS IT FOR?
Who can come?
The event is for:
- Parents
- Grandparents
- Carers
- Anyone looking for preloved children's items
- Anyone who would like to donate items for children
- Nurseries
- Playgroups
- Children's homes
- Similar community organisations
You don't need to be struggling financially to attend. Everyone is welcome.
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What age range are you looking for?
We're looking for items suitable for children from approximately:
👶 Baby – 8 years old
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Can I bring my children?
Yes!
Children are welcome, but please supervise them throughout the event.
And a little warning… if they're there, you might find yourself accidentally picking up their Christmas presents! 🎁😂
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💚 THE PURPOSE OF THE EVENT
What is the aim?
The Big Toy Swap aims to:
- Help make Christmas more affordable for local families
- Give every child the opportunity to receive something special, regardless of their family's circumstances
- Give preloved children's items a new home
- Encourage sustainable gift-giving
- Reduce waste
- Stop hundreds of perfectly usable children's items ending up in landfill
- Build a stronger, more generous local community
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🤝 RULES & GOODWILL
Are there any rules?
Just a few important ones:
❤️ Be kind.
Please be respectful and courteous to volunteers and other swappers.
♻️ Don't resell.
Please don't take items with the intention of reselling them.
🧸 Donate thoughtfully.
Please don't donate anything in a condition that you wouldn't be happy to receive yourself. Minor imperfections and signs of normal use are absolutely fine.
📊 Check out before you leave.
Please check in/out as requested by the organisers so we can keep track of how many items have been saved from landfill and include them in The Big Toy Swap statistics.
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👜 Do I need to bring anything?
Just bring a bag for any preloved treasures you find!
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💷 Does it cost anything?
No! The Big Toy Swap is completely FREE.
This is a community-centred event with the aim of helping families at Christmas and promoting sustainable giving.
If you're feeling particularly generous, rather than paying us, we'd encourage you to:
💚 Donate to a charity of your choice
💚 Make a donation to the church kindly providing the hall
💚 Or simply pay the goodwill forward in another way
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🏪 CAN BUSINESSES & ORGANISATIONS GET INVOLVED?
I run a relevant business, charity or community group. Can I have a table?
Potentially, yes!
If your business, charity or community group is relevant to the aims of The Big Toy Swap, please message the organisers to discuss whether you'd be a suitable fit.
We'd love to hear from organisations that can help support families, sustainability, reuse, children or the local community.
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🙋 VOLUNTEERING & SUPPORT
Can I volunteer or support the event?
Yes please! We need you! ❤️
We're looking for volunteers to help with things such as:
- Collecting and bringing donations
- Providing a donation drop-off point before the event
- Sorting and displaying donations
- Setting up
- Helping swappers during the event
- Distributing items
- Clearing up and closing down
If you'd like to get involved, please message us to register your interest.
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📅 Will there be another event?
This is the only event planned for this year.
If The Big Toy Swap is successful, we'd love to look at holding similar events more regularly in the future.
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❓ Is it drop-in?
Yes!
You can arrive at any point between 10am and 12 noon.
However, we can't guarantee that items will still be available later in the event, so we recommend arriving early if you can.
If you're donating on the day, please try to arrive during the first hour.
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💬 Any other questions?
If your question isn't answered here, please message the organisers and we'll do our best to help.
🎁 THE BIG TOY SWAP
Share. Swap. Save.
Let's give children's things a second life and make Christmas a little brighter for local families. ❤️
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Event venue
St Mary the Virgin Torquay, Fore Street, St Marychurch,Torquay, United Kingdom
Tickets
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