Sophie Scamps (Mackellar, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

For the last 50 years the Peninsula Senior Citizens Toy Repair Group in Mackellar have been bringing joy to children locally and around the world by restoring and recycling toys. Last week I thoroughly enjoyed visiting their toy workshop, which is filled to the rooftop with toys, to celebrate their 50th anniversary and to see firsthand the amazing work they do. They held a hugely successful toy drive to mark the occasion.

Peninsula toys was established in 1975 with the goal of creating a local organisation that would benefit the community by providing an engaging activity for senior citizens, bringing joy to underprivileged children and contributing to toy recycling efforts, thereby reducing landfill waste. Today, over 30 dedicated retirees, both male and female, devote countless hours each week to ensuring that children in need have access to toys, books, games, puzzles and more.

Santa's elves have nothing on peninsula toys, who work all year round distributing thousands of restored and recycled toys to countries such as Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Sierra Leone, Ghana ,Tonga and Fiji. They also provide toys to drought-stricken farming families through Rotary and Lions clubs, to First Nations communities in Sydney and Brewarrina and to children in hospital. I congratulate them on their 50th birthday and thank them for their dedication and commitment to bringing joy to so many.

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