GIFT IT FORWARD
A toy you'd throw away is a gift a family may not be able to afford. Hand it in, we repair it, a kid unwraps it. Let's spread some kindness.
HOW IT WORKS
You hand in a toy
Bring it to one of our collection points before Sunday 6 December. Before handing it in, text a photo of the toy to +32 485 72 39 04. We will send you a code to track its status once your batch arrives in our workshop.
We repair it
In our workshop in Haasrode, team members take the toy apart and figure out what's broken. Sometimes that means a spare part, sometimes the soldering iron or the 3D printer. Toys that aren't broken are welcome too!
Before a toy leaves, we clean it and check it for loose small parts, sharp edges and battery problems. If we can't make it safe, it doesn't go out and its good parts will be used for other repairs.
An OCMW passes it on
Repaired toys go to a few hand-selected OCMWs. They know which families could use them and hand them out.
We don't learn who those families are and we don't publish anything that could identify them. If they want to, parents are able to send you a short thank you message through our tracking platform.
WHY WE DO THIS
A lot of toys end up in the bin over a loose wire or a missing wheel, often a fix of an evening. Meanwhile, for some families in our region new toys simply aren't in the budget.
We have a workshop, tools and a team that enjoys taking things apart and getting them working again. Most of our time goes into Belgium's first liquid rocket engine. Repairing a toy is a small project. For the kid who unwraps it, it is not small at all.
For us, that's what engineering is all about: making the world a better place through building things that are useful to people.
COLLECTION POINTS
Drop off your toy at one of these places before Sunday 6 December.
Vulcan Kinetics office
Ambachtenlaan 24, 3001 LeuvenMail us to arrange a time
This is where the repairs happen.
Fablab
Celestijnenlaan 300, 3001 LeuvenDuring the Fablab's opening hours
KU Leuven's Fablab, at the mechanical engineering department.
Can't make it to any of these? Mail info@vulcankinetics.be and we'll work something out.
TRACK YOUR TOY
COMING SOONSend us a picture of the toys you brought to +32 485 72 39 04 and we'll send you a code. Soon you'll be able to type that code here and see where your toy is: in repair, safety-checked or already with a family.
QUESTIONS
What's the deadline?
You can bring toys until Sunday 6 December. That gives us time to repair everything before the toys go to the OCMWs.
Which toys can I bring?
Both toys without any issues and toys that are broken but still complete enough to fix: wooden toys, cars and trains, dolls, building sets, simple electronic toys. Not sure? Just bring it along and we'll see what we can do.
What if my toy can't be repaired?
Then we'll let you know. Usable parts like wheels, motors and screws can go into other repairs; the rest is recycled.
Can I help with repairs?
Yes, you don't need to be on our team for that. Mail us and tell us what you're good at.
How can I reach you?
Mail info@vulcankinetics.be or send us a message on Instagram. We usually reply within a day.