The British Toy & Hobby Association (BTHA) is marking 80 years in 2024 and, as part of the celebrations, has created a special video reflecting on the milestone.
The BTHA was set up in 1944 to represent the interests of toy manufacturers, with the new video reflecting on the past 80 years of service to members and the wider toy industry and also showcasing the work of the association today.
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.
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 and trade issues among other areas.
The BTHA 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.
“It has been a great honour to have been a part of 23 of the Association’s 80-year history,” commented Roland Earl, director general of the BTHA. “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.”
To find out more about the work of the BTHA please visit www.btha.co.uk. For more information on how to become a member please contact tracey@btha.co.uk.
