Heartbreak as Donated Beach Toys Disappear

Founder of Beach Toy Borrowing Scheme Expresses 'Great Sadness' Over Missing Items

The founder of a community beach toy borrowing initiative has spoken out about her disappointment over missing toys and warned the scheme may have to end.

Louise Carson, who launched the Borrow A Bucket project in 2022 to reduce plastic waste and support children from low-income families, said she is experiencing "great sadness" as more toys are disappearing than ever before.

She’s urging islanders to double-check that beach toys haven’t accidentally gone home with them and to teach their children that the items are for borrowing, not keeping.

“This summer, toys have been going missing at a really quick pace,” said Ms Carson. “In previous years, we had very few issues.”

"With great sadness..."

“If we can’t resolve this, then with great sadness we may need to make this the final year for our beach toy boxes,” she said. “I would love for every islander that uses the box to feel responsible for it.”

The boxes are stocked and maintained by volunteers, who have also had to deal with misuse of the containers. Ms Carson said broken toys should be thrown away, not returned, and that the boxes should not be used as rubbish bins.

“Volunteers have found everything from used nappies to loose nails while cleaning the boxes,” she added. “If Jersey is changing to be more like the UK—where people don’t care about each other or community—then that’s horribly sad.”

From success to shortage

Despite the challenges, 2025 has been a standout year for donations. Ms Carson said the project had seen an “unprecedented success” in community support, including a single sponsor contributing over 100 footballs. Still, the toy boxes, once full of frisbees and balls, are now nearly empty.

The Borrow A Bucket boxes are located at 12 beaches across Jersey, including West Park, Long Beach, St Brelade's Bay, and Les Laveurs. Islanders are welcome to donate toys such as buckets, spades, and balls directly into the boxes.

However, for safety reasons, Ms Carson has asked that flotation toys and boogie boards not be included.