Freemasons’ gift makes hospital visits more ‘bear-able’ for young people

Children going into hospital in Grantham are the latest to benefit from a charity run by Freemasons that has so far supported almost four million children throughout England and Wales, and prompted similar schemes around the world.

It’s the Teddies for Loving Care charity, which gives hospital staff cuddly toy bears to comfort children needing hospital treatment. Says Graham ‘Teddy Man’ Cadel, who co-ordinates the scheme for Lincolnshire Freemasons: “The comfort provided by the bears we can give away through this scheme makes the hospital experience far more ‘bear-able’ for young people. The benefit they feel from these little bears far outweighs the cost of providing them to hospitals, and it’s something we shall continue to do.”

The latest recipients are staff at the Kingfisher Ward at Grantham and District Hospital, where paediatric services are delivered.

Graham added: “These bears experience all sorts of treatments to help their new young owners. The bears have been given stitches, been bandaged, gone into scanners, and they fly with Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance crews. One of them has even been to Everest Base Camp with Lincolnshire Freemasons Jez Hyland and Rob Wright to help promote our charity work.”

Graham added that the bears also comfort the parents of young patients. He said: “We must never forget that when a child needs hospital treatment it can be a traumatic time not only for them, but also for their parents or guardians. Our bears give them emotional support because they can see someone else wants to help look after their child.”

The Teddies for Loving Care charity is funded entirely by Freemasons, and has been giving away its little bears since 2001. One A&E doctor reports: “Having these bears is so helpful. The children love them, and they help massively in terms of building rapport with those who are afraid of the situation they find themselves in.”

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