Do teddy bears picnic in the woods? Not anymore they don’t after the 30,000 teddy bear was donated to Bedford Hospital for their children’s ward.

The Freemasons Provincial Grand Lodge of Bedfordshire has been donating teddy bears to the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust since 2004 and this month the 30,000th bear was donated.

Paediatric wards at both Bedford Hospital and Luton Hospital have benefitted from the donations.

It’s all part of the Freemason’s national campaign Teddies for Loving Care (TLC). The bears help to offer comfort to children and demonstrate medical procedures.

Doctors and nurses often show children the procedure on the bear, before it is performed on the patient.

Jo Andrews, Paediatric Lead at Bedford Hospital said: “The children we see in our department are often very distressed and upset, these teddy bears really help us to calm them down and assess their needs as soon as possible.

“The bears are hugely popular with the children, and the parents are often surprised that their children get to keep the bears when they leave.

“It’s such a simple thing, but they really make a difference to the care and experience our young patients and their families receive when they are with us.”

Sarah Amexheta, Head of Charity for Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust added, “We would like to say a big thank you to everyone involved in raising funds for this thoughtful donation.

“Children are able to take the cuddly teddies home with them after they leave, a luxury the Trust would not have without the kind donations of the Freemasons.

“It’s a lovely gesture and one sure to raise a smile for little ones who have visited our hospitals.”

Three million teddy bears have been donated to hospitals nationally over the past 21 years, Tony Henderson, Head of Bedfordshire Freemasons said: “It’s a scheme we are very proud of.”

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