Preston’s Freemasons give over 40,000 teddy bears to children in A&E

Freemasons charity Teddies for Loving Care (TLC) was founded 21 years ago and the Preston & Chorley Group
of TLC was set up 11 years ago.

Preston and Chorley Freemasons quickly set to work with Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust which manage Royal Preston and Chorley & South Ribble Hospital and teddy bears were given to the A&E departments for children who were admitted.

In 11 years, TLC has donated 40,000 teddy bears in Preston and Chorley.

Doctors and Nursing Staff are able to gift a TLC Teddy to a distressed child and it is theirs to keep and take home when treatment has been completed.

The teddy provides comfort and acts as a distraction while the medical team do their work. Sometimes the doctors and nurses use the teddy to show a child what is to be done to them.

On a recent visit to A&E at Royal Preston, Chris Jones, the Nurse in Charge commented that the Teddy Bears were invaluable in their treatment of traumatised children and are really good at settling them down.

Dr Ayman Jundi, a Consultant in the Emergency Department said that he was aware that the Teddies had been available in the department for many years and that they make for an overall less traumatic experience at the hospital, very much diverting the children from what is going on.

Teddy has been touring his patch. He visited Preston Masonic Hall where he met the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, Philip Gunning. He also tried to hitch a ride on the Leyland Tank!

The funding of the free Teddy Bears is derived from donations to the charity and by the sale of a variety of other Teddy Bears by the TLC Team at a number of events that they attend.

More information is available on the TLC Website www.teddiesforlovingcare.org.uk

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Have you or your child ever been given a TLC teddy? Let us know in the comments below.