Cuddly teddy bears have been donated to Leighton Hospital by the Freemasons of Cheshire.

A visit to the hospital can be a scary experience for a young child, especially in an emergency situation. To help ease the anxiety, Freemasons of Cheshire have donated nearly 7000 cuddly teddy bears to local hospitals in the last year, with Leighton Hospital in Crewe being one of them.

Through their Teddies for Loving Care (TLC) programme, Freemason's provide new teddy bears to provide much-needed comfort to children in Emergency departments, helping to reduce the shock and distress of their experience. Every child that receives a teddy gets to take it home.

The TLC program is a national initiative run by Freemasons across England and Wales. Since its launch in 2001, over 3.5 million teddy bears have been donated to hospitals.

Both hospitals and children are grateful for the beary nice donation.

It is locally managed by Freemasons who also volunteer their time to run the scheme. Since its inception in 2001, 3.5 million teddies have been distributed to hospitals throughout England and Wales.

The work of TLC is funded through the generous donations of Freemasons, their families and supporters of the programme. Many Freemasons also volunteer hundreds of hours each year to manage the scheme, deliver bears to hospitals, campaign to raise funds and increase awareness through events and talks.

Michael Ross, the senior Freemason in charge of TLC in Cheshire said "Having the 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."

But it is not just Leighton Hospital in Crewe, that has received the cuddly mammals.

Hopefully, the bears can help kids bear with the uncertainty and unfamiliarity of a hospital stay.

During the course of the last 12 months, Cheshire Freemasons have raised £28,645.31 and have purchased nearly 6,768 bears which have been donated to the Macclesfield Hospital, Arrowe Park Hospital, Countess of Cheshire Hospital, Wythenshawe Hospital, Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport, Victoria Infirmary, Northwich, Warrington General Hospital and Halton General Hospital.

The money is raised by freemasons throughout Cheshire who have organised events including a walk, car boot sales, and taking part in the London Marathon.

Leighton Hospital is one of the hospitals in the area to receive the teddy bears. (Photo: Nub News)

Lodges and chapters throughout Cheshire have been working hard to run their own events and it has been a real team effort to stuff the teddy project up with support.

"The TLC program is a true team effort," said Michael Ross.

"Thanks to the hard work of our members and the support of the community, we can continue to bring smiles to the faces of children in our hospitals."

The precise number of teddies donated to Leighton Hospital, has not been confirmed.

The teddy bear dates back to the early 1900s, and is named after former United States President Theodore Roosevelt.

To find more about the Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire, please click HERE.

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