From start-ups to household names, the Gazette takes to the streets each week to find and profile a local business with a difference. This week we visited The Toy Project in Archway ahead of its Christmas campaign.
Jane Garfield founded The Toy Project five years ago to recycle unwanted toys and give them the love they deserve.
The shop in Junction Road, Archway, sells sought after collectables, and donates to prisons, care homes and families.
It is a treasure trove of much loved characters, bedtime stories and games – and Jane said the most prized possession is the £450 One Direction doll set.
Customer Leanne Rivers described the shop as a “magical kingdom” and said buying pre-loved items was the answer to cutting down plastic.
Visitors come from as far and wide as Japan, and Lego topped the toy chart last month. Even with tablets and smartphones, Jane said parents “enjoy seeing their children play with toys they once did”.
The project has launched its Grandparents Project in which people refer others who are struggling financially so they can gift toys to their families this Christmas.
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