The 250,000^th teddy bear of a Yorkshire-wide scheme to bring comfort to children in hospital was recently distributed to a young patient at Leeds Children’s Hospital.

The Teddies for Loving Care (TLC) is managed by local Freemasons who volunteer their time to run the initiative. Hospitals can be frightening places for children. TLC is a way of providing much-needed comfort for young patients at a time of enormous anxiety, helping to improve their hospital experience. Every child that receives a teddy gets to take it home.

To mark this significant milestone, members from the Freemasons’ Yorkshire Province visited Leeds Children’s Hospital with ‘Big Ted’ to celebrate with staff from the hospital.

Sandra Garbutt, Sister, said “We would like to say a huge thank you to the Freemasons for the TLC teddies. They make such a difference and can turn tears into smiles at Leeds Children’s Hospital. 

They help to cheer the children up and provide a welcome distraction at a particularly stressful time. We are extremely grateful that we can offer the teddy bears to patients in our hospital. Our message to the Freemasons is to keep up the good work and please keep those bears coming – we love them!”

James H Newman OBE, Head of the Freemasons Province of Yorkshire West Riding, said:

''The Freemasons in Yorkshire West Riding are delighted to present Leeds Teaching Hospitals with the 250,000th teddy bear under our TLC scheme. This scheme has been going nationally for almost 25 years and in Yorkshire for 17 years. To achieve this milestone in Yorkshire means that around 15,000 teddies a year have been provided for children in seventeen hospitals and three children's hospices since 2008.

TLC is a wonderful initiative that is greatly appreciated by the participating hospitals and hospices but especially by the children who receive them. The teddies help distract young patients from their ailments and have a calming influence.

I am incredibly proud that the scheme is funded through the generosity of our members from Lodges across Yorkshire”

On behalf of patients at Leeds Children’s Hospital, we are incredibly grateful to our friends at the Freemasons for their passion in wanting to improve the hospital experience for so many children in Leeds and beyond. Thank you for your support!