Forget The Three Bears; this charity has given away more than three million!

There’s a nursery story that starts: “Once upon a time, there were three bears…” – but this isn’t it. This is the story on a much larger scale; the story of a whopping 3.5 million bears, and the way the Freemasons’ Teddies For Loving Care charity gives them to children to comfort them as they undergo the toughest of times.

The trio in our main picture who certainly aren’t bears are, from left, Steve Roberts; Dave Wheeler, Lincolnshire’s Provincial Grand Master; and Graham Cadel, who leads the scheme in Lincolnshire. They came together because members of the Red Cross of Constantine, a branch of Freemasonry led in Lincolnshire by Steve Roberts, gave £200 to the scheme.

Said Graham, known by Lincoln hospital staff as The Teddy Man: “The TLC scheme is very grateful for every donation. They all help to sustain our efforts in bringing comfort to children who have to undergo challenging experiences in their young lives.

“Hospital staff give the bears to children to make the treatment they need seem a little less daunting. Our bears have been bandaged, stitched, and travelled into MRI scanners with young patients, and in the latest development, we’ve even arranged for them to fly with the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance. In every case they help to minimise the fear for children involved in such potentially life-changing experiences.”

The idea behind the scheme has even been shared with Freemasons in other parts of the world, including the American state of Maine, who read about it on the Lincolnshire Freemasons’ web site at lincolnshirefreemasons.org.

The parents of one child wrote to the Freemasons after their son had needed a trio to A&E. They said: “Just a little note to say ‘thank you’.  My little boy, who is three and a half, severed his finger badly so we had to go to Lincoln Hospital A&E. As we walked in a gentleman had a bag of teddy bears and he very kindly gave us a lovely teddy to cheer my son up. He said the bears had been given by the Freemasons. My son has the teddy in his bed and took it for his operation and follow up appointment. It really is a lovely gesture for those on the receiving end. Thank you very much for such an act of kindness.” 

• Graham is always looking for ways to get the bears into more places where they can help youngsters. If you would appreciate more information about the charity contact him by email at grahamjcadel@gmail.com or call 07715 328350. He’ll be pleased to hear from you.

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