A much-loved children’s charity based at Charlton House is facing eviction and an uncertain future after more than 40 years.
Charlton Toy Library, which was founded by a group of local mothers in 1982, helps families with children under five by lending toys and equipment such as baby monitors and stair gates.
The charity also provides an outreach service, which helps scores of vulnerable families, has a play area for children and hosts singing sessions. Families pay for the service through a small membership fee.
But the toy library has been asked to leave in October to make way for a commercial tenant.
Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust, a charity spun off from Greenwich Council a decade ago, said it needed to bring in a new tenant to raise money after struggling to raise the funding to maintain the historic building.
An email seen by The Greenwich Wire asking for community support said that the toy library’s trustees had been “blindsided” by the request to leave and that it had recently spent money on electrical work and redecorating the space at the trust’s request.
The toy library does not currently pay rent in acknowledgement of its part in helping win grants for Charlton House which the trust itself had not been able to maintain. The Greenwich Wire understands that it has paid rent in the past and would be happy to do so again, but would need time to include rent in its applications for grants.
A toy library has been in Charlton House since 1976, although it was previously part of Greenwich Council’s library service. The council said it was working with the toy library to try to find it new premises.
Charlton Toy Library’s trustees said in a statement: “We can confirm that we are in discussions with Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust regarding our future at Charlton House and we hope to work together towards a positive outcome.
“We wholeheartedly believe that the Charlton Toy Library is a vital local resource and we would love to ensure it continues to be available to those families in Charlton that need it the most.”
Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust was spun off in 2014 as one of the last acts of Greenwich Council’s long-serving former leader, Chris Roberts, amid the first waves of government austerity cuts. It runs Charlton House, the Tudor Barn in Eltham, the borough’s archive and its war memorials.
The council hoped at the time that as a charity, the trust would find it easier to apply for grants. But in the long term the move has backfired, with the trust struggling to win grants to restore Charlton House.
It used to run the Greenwich Heritage Centre in the Royal Arsenal, but that was taken back by the council in 2018 to house Woolwich Works, a move which angered local historians. The council later reneged on a pledge to bring the centre back to Woolwich by 2023.
The archive is now in a warehouse in Charlton with restricted public access because of a lack of funds.
Charlton House was built by the crown in 1612 to house Adam Newton, a royal tutor, and was later owned by the Maryon-Wilson family, who had extensive landholdings in the area.
It was bought by the old Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich in the 1920s with the idea that it would become its town hall, but the building – which had to be partially rebuilt after wartime bombing – later became a community centre and its pleasure grounds became Charlton Park.
Figures close to the trust have said there is a tension between the house’s historic use as a community centre and the trust’s need to raise money to pay for the huge costs of its upkeep, as well as its other responsibilities.
The council and Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust said in a joint statement: “We recognise the value that Charlton Toy Library, through the hard work of its staff and volunteers, brings to local families. The charity has occupied a space in Charlton House free of charge but, sadly, the cost-of-living crisis and reductions in funding overall has meant many historic venues and trusts have had to consider new ways to generate revenue.
“Significant cuts to culture funding by the previous government also mean competition for funding is fiercer than ever, and the redistribution of investment away from London has provided further challenges.
“Charlton House and Gardens, which has been run by the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust since 2014, is part of the borough’s unique heritage, enjoyed by local people and visitors alike. The income generated by commercially renting the space the toy library currently uses will help protect the future of this historic landmark.
“The council is working with the charity to try and help them find new premises they can operate out of and enable them to deliver their charitable aims.”
If you can help Charlton Toy Library, visit charltontoylibrary.org.uk.
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