Pawsome Teddies Donation Give Comfort to Children Visiting Hospitals

Thames Lodge Freemasons presented a cheque to Teddies for Loving Care charity for Oxfordshire for £1,000 last week.

Teddies for Loving Care are given to children visiting hospital.  They are often used by staff to calm children down, reward them for being brave, and in some cases demonstrate procedures. A hospital visit can be a frightening experience for a young child, especially in an emergency situation. Teddies for Loving Care (TLC) is a way of providing much-needed comfort to children in A&E departments, helping to reduce the shock and distress of their experience. Every child that receives a teddy gets to take it home. Established by Essex Freemasons in 2001, TLC is now a national programme, locally-led by Freemasons across England and Wales. Nearly all of the money raised to purchase and distribute the teddies comes from Freemasons themselves through lodge donations and fundraising events. In Oxfordshire between 2004 and 2019 nearly 20,000 teddies were given to the John Radcliffe A&E.

Stephen Quant (above left) Thames Lodge Leader presented Roger Hampshire (above centre) who runs Teddies For Loving Care charity for the entire Oxfordshire Province.  Geoff Walsh (above right), Thames Lodge’s Charity Steward who organised the presentation said, “Roger is simply a wonderful friend and colleague and I am always totally proud to support him and TLC for Henley and District.   He keeps me well stocked with teddy bears who are given out by our super NHS staff at Townlands Hospital every time a sick and distressed child has to unfortunately visit Townlands Hospital.  900 teddies or so were given out last year alone!”