ABOUT US
unique value
Toys hold childhood memories, provide comfort and emotional support, and connect us to loved ones. We appreciate the responsibility of caring for such irreplaceable objects. Each toy’s repairs are agreed upon individually, so we can ensure they keep their unique character.
craftsmanship
The Toy Hospital team collectively have decades of hands-on experience across a range of disciplines. Every toy’s repairs are carried out by hand using traditional craft techniques, including sewing, sculpting, and painting. Our workmanship is designed to last as long as the toys themselves.
sustainability
Our business is based on the recognition that old objects hold value which can’t be replaced by buying something new. We carry this commitment to sustainability through all our practices, from saving fabric scraps and re-using packaging to powering our studio with green energy.
Meet The Team
mari
DirectorMari Jones is the founder and director of Leith Toy Hospital. She works on custom builds and also repairs the knitted toys. She also runs Picture to Puppet, our sister company which makes custom puppets and soft toys to order. Mari is also a fantastic artist and you can view some of her work in the links below.
emma
Head of Teddy DepartmentEmma was the toy hospital’s first employee and now supervises all soft toy repairs. They studied Dress and Textile History, which has given them an understanding of antique materials and construction techniques. They’re also fascinated by the social history of toys, and the importance that toys can hold in people’s lives.
charlotte
Head of Doll DepartmentCharlotte Abbott manages the Doll Department here at Leith Toy Hospital. She is also our resident tech whizz and providing much needed IT support! She recently made a foray into the world of television staring in Channel 5’s ‘The Toy Hospital’. When not fixing toys, Charlotte can usually be found tinkering and trying to satisfy her insatiable quest to figure out how things work.
elspeth
Doll Department AdministratorElspeth keeps the doll wards in order, handles quotes and invoicing for the dolls, and trundles huge mounds of toys to the post office every day! She is also a fabulous painter, you can see her work in the links below.
angela
Doll RestorerAngela Zawitaj has worked as a Doll Restorer for 3 years. Following her degree in Digital Art, her transferable skills allowed her to understand colour theory when painting dolls, and the 3D scultping skills came in handy when sculpting doll parts such as fingers.
joel
Doll RestorerYour dolls are in safe hands with restorer Joel whose main joys in life are sculpting and sausage rolls. In addition to working at Leith Toy Hospital, Joel is a fine art sculptor and regularly exhibits his work around Scotland.
Soph
Soft Toy AdministratorSoph handles the check-ins and check-outs and keeps the teddy wards in order. She is also the main contact with the outside world for all the soft toys.
Soph is also an incredibly talented photographer, you can see her work in the links below and in all the fabulous photos on our website!
Aimee
Soft Toy Restorer She treats all of her patients in the teddy hospital with lots of TLC! Aimee also manages our social media, and is the face behind all those cute, and occasionally bizarre, pictures! She trained as a costume maker and loves making tiny cute costumes for the teddies. You can see examples of her costume work in the link below.
Lu
Soft Toy RestorerBefore Lu became a Soft Toy Restorer, she came to Edinburgh from Germany to study Medieval Literature, which rekindled her interest in textiles and sewing. Her favourite part of work is finding the perfect match for patches. Besides her work for us, she also spins, dyes, knits and takes textile commissions. See her work in the link below.
Juan
Leather SpecialistJuan is our talented leather speacialist. He works miracles on all the leather, sheepskin and real fur teddies, however crusty they are when they arrive!
Marcello
Soft Toy Restorer.Marcello is their newest member to join our team. Their meticulous toy restoration work makes sure the teddies all return home fighting fit and strong enough to withstand many more years of love and hugs.
chelsea
Administrator and Soft Toy RestorerChelsea is our most mysterious staff member who is tirelessly working in the background to get all of our teddy quotes out to customers. You can sometimes find her working on a Saturday fixing teddies.
Find out more
Get in touch to get a quote
Get in touch today to find out the repairs we can provide you with. If you’re looking for more pricing and examples of our toy repair work, check out the services pages that further explain our skills and abilities.