Our Story

The Joybank project was inspired by Jessica Cooper, a talented young wheelchair dancer who was born with cystic fibrosis. Her dream was to be able to support other youngsters facing life challenges.  The day before she died, post her lung transplant, she told her mother there was still so much work she  wanted to do .

Jessa’s JOYBANK is her legacy and memorial.

Her mother Fiona had a background in peace and social justice education. After her daughter's death there was only darkness in her world.  To find a reason to get up each day, she volunteered with a charity that ran workshops about youth violence and drug exploitation. This increased her awareness of the impact of poverty and inequality in her own community.

At the beginning of the Covid lockdown, many families struggled to entertain and educate their children at home without any resources  to do so. During a ‘Tea & Talk’ session with mothers in the group, one single mum despaired,” I’ve run out of paper and crayons already.” 

As an educator, Fiona understood the importance of play in children’s development and quickly realised the need for urgent play-focused support. Working from her living room, she appealed for pre-loved toys and  delivered them herself to families in need. Seeing the joy these toys brought to children brought her joy again in return.  

Fiona’s house was soon overflowing with donated, unwanted toys! She rented an empty shop and opened its doors in 2020, selling some  to pay the rent and distributing most toys free to vulnerable families in Sheffield. In 2022, the JOYBANK became a registered charity, with the intention to be community-based and volunteer-led. Since then, the charity has distributed over 5000 toys and counting. The need for its services continues  to grow, as does Joybank.

Post-pandemic, many parents still struggle just to provide food, clothes and heating. But meeting  essential basic needs alone is not enough for children’s healthy development and well-being. Over 1 in 4 children in Sheffield live in poverty. Many start school two years behind their more affluent peers.  Schools, health and social workers and community groups serving disadvantaged neighbourhoods are woefully short of funds to purchase vital play resources for children. 

As well as the retail shop, the Joybank now additionally rents storage space where volunteers sort and organise donations and, via referrals, distribute toys city-wide. The charity also appeals for surplus new stock from toy manufacturers to donate to children for Christmas, Eid, birthdays, and other special occasions.

The Joybank is now exploring expanding its capacity to reach still more children by setting up toy libraries and resourcing other charity projects with toys.  The charity also supports schools with resources to set up brick and board game clubs, Legotherapy and trauma-informed practice.