dmartin 4th January 2006, 06:56 PM I am looking to make some toys to donate to a charity for young kids. I wan't to make simple toys. Doea anyone have any suggestions of charities that maybe intersted that I could contact. I am in Melbourne in the Moorabbin area.
Iain 4th January 2006, 07:44 PM Royal Childrens Hospital, every year the wannabe Hells Angels (Ulysses MC Club) do a ride and deliver the goods.
Never cross the riders though, some of the Accountants and Engineers who ride can be quite nasty:D :D :D
Failing that try one of your local service clubs, Rotary, Lions etc.
Having said that I have often thought about a group effort from this forum for the same sort of thing for each State, but, unlike your proposal, I would suggest that for arguments sake, I make 100 wheels, you make 25 chassis, someone else make 25 truck cabins etc etc and someone gets to assemble them all.
Could be a learning curve for some and a chance to contribute something and gets Neils product some national coverage on the media for nothing.
And your greenie score just went up
echnidna 4th January 2006, 07:57 PM A couple of good posts worth supporting
Auld Bassoon 4th January 2006, 08:10 PM Iain,
I'd be right with you there if your idea can be floated.
One of my ex-colleagues is a biker and would make quite a big deal of getting folks in the office to cough-up some toys and such each year. Damn good bloke.
The idea of distributed semi-mass production might bring some woes to whoever the poor sod gets the job of assembly though :eek: :D :D - Woodies aren't exactly renowned for their millimetric precision against a engineering diagram...:p
Cheers!
PS PM me if this looks like taking off?
Iain 4th January 2006, 08:16 PM I feel like I have stolen DM's thunder which was not the intention, now is probably the time to start so things work out for December.
Wongo's tongue drums look good as well as some simple pull alongs.
I shall delve into my plans over the next few days and give DM the glory he deserves for starting this.
Oh I forgot, near enough is good enough, millimetric precision indeed.
JohnM 4th January 2006, 09:36 PM Sounds like a good idea. Maybe a Qld effort could be arranged:)
JohnM 4th January 2006, 09:43 PM Sounds like a good idea. Maybe a Qld effort could be arranged, if so I would be interested:)
JohnM 4th January 2006, 09:45 PM Sorry, I seem to be stuttering:D
Shedhand 4th January 2006, 09:49 PM Count me in guys. PM me if it goes further.:)
Paul O'H. Ingersoll Canad 6th January 2006, 07:43 AM D. Martin
Samaritan' Purse is a worldwide organization. They do Shoe Boxes full of goodies for needy children. I make small toys for the local group.There is a group in Australia and there was a forumn member that belonged to it
There is the Savation Army, Womenn" shelters. Some churches do christmas hampers.
I have 6 organizations that take mine.
Keep them simple with bright colors.
You can check mine out herehttp://frontpage.execulink.com/pohallor/toys1.htm
Paul
Iain 6th January 2006, 08:19 AM Looks good, yes, definitely keep it simple, after giving a little though I think that the tongue drums would be a touch too big, and heavy.
Little pull alongs look good.
I haven't forgotten, just waiting for some time to find whats appropriate.
Wongo 6th January 2006, 09:26 AM Wongo's tongue drums look good as well as some simple pull alongs.
Absolutely, I made 4 and gave them to my daughter's pre-school late last year. Give something back for looking after my little darling.:)
AlexS 6th January 2006, 09:35 AM The teachers really love them Wongo:rolleyes:
No, really they do:)
Wongo 6th January 2006, 09:38 AM I asked Jasmin do they play with the drums. She said no but the teachers do.:D
Fella 22nd January 2006, 07:37 PM hi i'm only young and new to this forum but this sounds like a good annual plan....as in make it a yearly event.
i would like to offer my own time. I have plenty of time to help out for a good cause. pm me or send email if this is going to turn into anything.
thanks Arron
keith53 22nd January 2006, 07:45 PM I could probably find some time as well. I'd like to see them go to genuinely needy kids though.
Lignum 22nd January 2006, 09:40 PM What an excellent idea. I will be in that and make some toys. I think Xmas is to far away so hows Xmas in July sound.
In Melbourne contacting someone like Les Twentyman would be the ideal starting point and he would be more than happy to advise on the best course of action and maybe a collection point for donated toys.
Id almost favor staying clear of the bigger charities and concentrating on the poorer areas where their is genuine hardship and some kids have nothing.
Radio Station 3AW have done a similar thing with push bikes for needy familys and it has grown over a period of three or four years where they now donate over 1000 bikes a year to children who have never had a bike, and at the handover people who donated have been reduced to tears seeing the joy on their faces at having their "very own new bike" They would also be worth contacting for their knowledge on the subject. Community Newspapers like the Leader and radio like PBS and RRR also might help out. Its worth persuing.
Maybe we can start some toys now and photo them for the forum to inspire others to start getting some together and getting the ball rolling:)
dmartin 30th January 2006, 04:52 PM Hello all
Sorry I have been away. Thanks for all the great idea's. I think the best way to do this is to pick a charity and then where ever you are located make contact with the charity in your area and provide them with your gifts. We also need to work out how we can provide recognition of this website, as this is also important. We should also post pictures and patterns so as to share idea,s of what we make.
Thanks
Darren
Fella 30th January 2006, 08:45 PM Id almost favor staying clear of the bigger charities and concentrating on the poorer areas where their is genuine hardship and some kids have nothing.
thats the way..
we need to have somone incharge or this effort to get the ball rolling. i like this idea of making these trucks and each of us is responsable for a part of it.
if it is trucks that we do then on the side of the trailers we can put the forum logo and adress ect.
so who want to be the MAN!?
dmartin 14th February 2006, 11:22 AM Hello All
I approached the Smith Family charity but they only want commercially produced and packaged toys. I'll keep trying.
hcbph 14th February 2006, 12:50 PM D.Martin
Good idea but I'd like to add a suggestion/advise based on experience. I used to make toys for a kids wing of a hospital where I used to live. Even though the hospital said that I had no liability for the toys I made, I had a couple threaten to sue me. I made some toys and used food color to add color to them, and no finish. They claimed their 12 month old child got ahold of one of the toys in the hospital, chewed on it and as a result got sick.
Took 3 doctors afirming that there was nothing on the toys that could have made their child sick before they dropped the threat of a lawsuit. I can't aford to be sued over free goods, so I haven't made any more since. I have not found a reasonable way to protect myself for abusive/stupid lawsuits.
It's a shame but it's life.
Paul
Auld Bassoon 14th February 2006, 07:34 PM Paul does raise an interesting point.
I know that I'd be happy to spend some of my time making things (esp toys) for really needy kids, but wouldn't want the threat of litigation hanging over me.
Would some sort of liability insurance (for those of us not WWW professionally/commercially) be appropriate?
I'll ask Meg (WB's SHMBO)..
Auld Bassoon 15th February 2006, 04:52 PM Hi everybody,
Having spoken with an authority on the matter (PM me if you want the details), Professional indemnity insurance is available for $160 Sept - Sept.
WRT toys, the only un-insurable (from this source, anyway) are ride-on or sit-on toys.
Cheers!
dan_tom 15th February 2006, 06:50 PM I know that residential facilities would welcome them, such as the accommodation centres run by the Queensland Cancer Fund and Leukaemia Foundation (where kids can stay up to a year in care after a bone marrow transplantation).
Sometimes the kids who have cancer play with them, sometimes their brothers and sisters or Mum/Dad who have to come along whilst their family member gets treatment play with them. Many people from rural and remote areas that need to come to the city for treatment really appreciate surroundings that are homemade - especially the quilts that local stitching clubs make. It's those special touches that can alleviate the anxiety when you're receiving treatment away from home - knowing a complete stranger cares that much.
I work at the Queensland Cancer Fund and would be more than happy to put anyone who wishes to donate home made toys in touch with the 3 accommodation facilities that we have for patients and their families (Brisbane, Rockhampton and Townsville).
Cheers
Dan
Gaza 15th February 2006, 07:23 PM If this does come off and there is a NSW team on it, i have pallets of MDF off cuts in a range of sizes and thicknesses that i will pass on to the team, i may also might be able to get some down grade pine. let us know what happens with it.
Auld Bassoon 15th February 2006, 08:42 PM If this does come off and there is a NSW team on it, i have pallets of MDF off cuts in a range of sizes and thicknesses that i will pass on to the team, i may also might be able to get some down grade pine. let us know what happens with it.
Thanks Mate!
I'm reasonably sure that a collective/consortium of us down here in the "good country" might stump up for the delivery of a pile of off cuts to use for this.
Methinks we need to make a plan of candidate toys, types, sizes, etc, and divvy up the taks amongst us.
If this is going to work we need a "front person" to represent the group to whichever charities, etc. and gear up for some production, and delivery.
Any takers?
It's D.Martins idea, so I guess he has first option?
Gaza 12th March 2006, 08:35 PM How is the planning for this coming along, my offer for the off cuts still stands i have about 3 good size pallets built up from Jan/Feb.
Daniel Woods 16th August 2011, 03:00 AM Good idea, being charitable is a virtue and not a common one. I hope this plan kicks off and is realised successfully.
Also choosing the charity isn't that big a deal is it? I am sure you will fine many charities to offer the goods to once they are available.
AUSSIE 16th August 2011, 03:09 AM Sorry to say ,the last post here was in 2006.It doesn't look like it took off very well.
Good idea, being charitable is a virtue and not a common one. I hope this plan kicks off and is realised successfully.
Also choosing the charity isn't that big a deal is it? I am sure you will fine many charities to offer the goods to once they are available.
STAR 17th August 2011, 09:14 AM Sorry to say ,the last post here was in 2006.It doesn't look like it took off very well.
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Even though the original thread is very old in reply to Aussie's comment that it doesn't look like it took off very well I offer the following views.
The suggestion that a production line be done with one person making wheels one person doing cut outs another doing something else looks good on a CEO's master plan.
But the devil is in the detail. I tried to organize something along that lines at our local wood club. The theory was great but the results of the work was ordinary. Doing it that way, even by talented workers left a lot to be desired. Their was no ownership of the overall product and as a result the person left with the final assembly had to keep making minor adjustments to make all the pieces match up and come together.
In the end, it worked out better, in our case, for one person to make and complete a project by them selves. maybe a simple break up of wood dimension, manufacture and then the final painting is a close as we could get to a sound system.
Even then, the attention to detail was often not as good as if the one person did the lot themselves. My thoughts about why is because I believed their was no personal ownership of a particular project. Such is human nature I guess.
Pete
AUSSIE 17th August 2011, 11:34 AM Star I think you are spot on with your comments:2tsup:
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