Teddies for Loving Care (T.L.C.)

Teddies for Loving Care is one of Freemasonry’s favourite charities. Set up in 2000, it has given more than a million small, colourful teddies to young children in Accident and Emergency and Minor Injury Units up and down the country – and even beyond! The teddies are for distressed youngsters in need of reassurance at a difficult time – for them and for their parents. The teddies meet exacting standards of safety and hygiene for hospital use, and are given to the child to keep. One youngster proudly announced that he had collected all the different colours!

Since it was launched in Shropshire in 2010, TLC (as it is affectionately known) has been entirely funded by the generosity of lodges and individuals who are happy to support us – with raffles, donations, special events and so on. We ask each Shropshire lodge to aim to contribute at least £150 a year, which enables us to continue without drawing on any other Masonic charity.

The teddies are now well established in Princess Royal Hospital, Telford, the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, the Minor Injuries units at Ludlow, Bridgnorth, Whitchurch and Oswestry and the medical centre at Market Drayton. There are even a few intrepid teddies aboard the Midlands Air Ambulance! Thus Masons around Shropshire really can feel that they are serving their local community.

Many of the Brethren wear shiny ‘teddy’ badges to indicate their support – these are available from your Charity Steward. If he has run out, he will know where to source some more! We ask for a donation for these badges – there is no formal limit, but we suggest folding money only!

The greatest recommendation for this wonderful charity comes from the nursing staff and the children themselves. One nurse told us “I really don’t know how we managed before we had the teddies. They calm everything down and let us get on with our job.”

For more information, visit our national page www.tlcappeal.org. To contact the appeal in Shropshire, please email us: click here.