IF you go down to Glanusk today, you’re sure of a big surprise. That’s because Debbie Murray is helping to gather a rather large collection of teddy bears, all with a vital mission to undertake.

At the last count, estate manager, Debbie had played a part in rounding up 7,000 cuddly toys ready for shipping out to various parts of the world where war and poverty have meant children going without a teddy to cuddle.

And Debbie is not finished yet; she won’t be satisfied until every bear that ever there was - or at least 10,000 of them - are on their way to put smiles on young faces.

Debbie is one of around 60 volunteers working on behalf of the Leominster-based Teddy Trust, whose mission is to collect teddies and soft cuddly toys from children around the UK and send them to children who are suffering the traumas of war, starvation or abuse. 

So far the Trust has sent around 50,000 teddies to children in Syria, Turkey, Kenya, Malawi, Kurdistan, Romania and South Africa. 

Debbie explained, ‘When a teddy is sent with love and compassion by a child in the UK it can have a profoundly comforting effect on a suffering child elsewhere in the world.  Sometimes the teddy is the only gift that child has ever received.’ 

Teddy Trust organiser, Ellie Targett added, ‘We work with Rotary International in South Africa and schools, churches and other organisations in this country. We are supported by companies such as KMB Shipping, Boots, DHL, Santander Bank and White Stuff who have all seen the value of the work we do and provide services to enable us to fulfil our aims.

‘We know there are millions of children in need of comfort around the world and we’d love to be able to help by sending a teddy.’

Anyone with a teddy ready to raise a smile can add him or her to the army of teddies awaiting dispatch by contacting www.teddytrust.org.uk or by sending teddies to The Teddy Trust, Kingsland Post Office, Kingsland, Leominster, Herefordshire, HR6 9QS.

Teddies and toys will be particularly appreciated if they are between eight and fifteen inches tall (20-38cm); no dolls, no ‘monsters,’ no pigs, nothing containing mechanisms and in clean and good condition.