This year the British Toy & Hobby Association (BTHA) is celebrating its 80th anniversary.
To mark the occasion we have produced a short celebratory video reflecting on the past 80 years of service to members and the wider toy industry, and to showcase the work of the Association today.
To view the video, please click here.
The BTHA exists to protect and promote the interests of its members and it was first established from a need for toy manufacturers to agree a common position for restarting manufacturing at the end of World War Two that could be presented to the British government. This advocacy work remains paramount to the Association, and the BTHA has established itself as the trusted industry voice with the different government of the day spanning many decades.
The number and range of services has increased in 80 years, and today the BTHA offers various services to its members including a vast range of guidance documents, tools, training seminars, and webinars, helping toy companies with compliance across toy safety, environmental issues, responsible marketing, trade issues, plus many more areas. This is a service that has grown substantially to meet the demands of its membership and to reflect the increasing amount of legislation that toy companies are required to meet.
The Association also has a long history organising various events, first the annual Toy Fair established in 1954 to support the industry with trade, as well as newer events such as the Toy Industry Day, Toy Trust charity fundraising events, and other special events. Supporting initiatives in the area of children’s play has also been an important part of the Association’s work since the 1970s, and the BTHA was one of the first toy associations to launch a dedicated consumer play campaign, Make Time 2 Play, in 2010 to ensure the benefits of play and toys were communicated.
Director General of the BTHA, Roland Earl, said: “It has been a great honour to have been a part of 23 of the Association’s 80-year history. I would like to pay tribute to members and the team at HQ and beyond – past and present – for their active, positive and amazing work towards the Association’s ongoing development. At the BTHA we are in a very privileged position to represent such creative, inspiring, responsible and fun companies, all of which bring joy to the lives of kids of all ages from 0-100! It is and will remain our paramount priority to continue to best support our members and the toy industry for many more years to come.”
