TLC Appeal
Teddies for Loving Care
Registered Charity No 1087765
Raising Funds for the supply of Cuddly
Toys to A&E units for
Children in Severe Distress
©2006 -
TLC Appeal
TLC Appeal
Registered Office
54 Medway Crescent
Leigh on Sea
Essex
SS9 2UY
The Origins of the Appeal and the Compulsive Idea
The Appeal originated after an allergic reaction suddenly caused the swelling and blocking of the windpipe of the wife of an Essex Freemason. Her life was saved by the rapid action of the medical staff at an A&E unit, who were able to resuscitate and stabilise her. They are both eternally grateful for the swift and caring attention that she received, but found the experience the most frightening of their lives and speculated on the distress that children must face when visiting A&E units.
He asked members of his Lodge and other Local Freemasons to help to do something useful as a thank you to the A&E unit and its staff. From that point the compulsive idea of “Teddies for Loving Care” was born.
The Appeal in Essex
The Appeal is now well established in the Province of Essex. Fundraising amongst Essex Freemasons and Lodges was started in March 2001, and A&E units have been using the TLC Teddies since September 2001.
In that time more than 180,000 severely distressed children at Essex A&E units have benefited from a TLC Teddy. That’s around 180,000 smiling faces and a potential 1,000,000+ parents, grandparents, siblings and friends of the families who have come into contact with Freemasonry in this particular way.
This obviously did not happen overnight! A lot of research and planning was done before the Appeal was launched.
What was clear from the outset was the enthusiasm of Essex Freemasons. Members of the Craft wanted to help. A committee of volunteers was set up under the guidance of W.Bro Brian Procter, then the Assistant Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Essex. We were also honoured that W.Bro. Col. Sir Neil Thorne, OBE. TD.DL, then the, Provincial Grand Master for the Province of Essex agreed to become the Patron of the Appeal.
The success of the Appeal is rightly attributed to them all.
Establishing the Appeal and it’s Development
In order to establish the Appeal, a large amount of research and planning was required. The fact that the Appeal has been so successful in all respects reflects the time spent in researching and planning, the quality of that work, and the enthusiasm for the appeal by Freemasons.
The full extent of that research and planning would itself fill a large document. Most of it is history now, but as the Appeal is extended to other Provinces, our experience can be used to ensure that the Appeal continues to be a success.
For the sake of completeness, summarised below are the major considerations involved and how we have developed these concepts as the Appeal has become established.
Was there a need?
How many Teddies are needed?
What Teddies to use?
How to source the Teddies?
Which A&Es to supply?
How to distribute to A&Es?
How to organise the Appeal – and what form should it take?
Fundraising
How to keep up the impetus of interest for Freemasons?
Was there a need?
The concept was discussed at length with senior A&E staff, who were able to add practical advice.
How many Teddies are needed?
Again, advice was sought from hospitals – though our own judgement was required in interpreting available information. Most hospitals only have records of the number of under 16’s attending A&E, with no breakdown by age or severity of distress. In one Essex hospital this was 12,000 per annum. Experience has shown that around 3,000 or 25% have been selected by staff as suitable recipients of a TLC Teddy.
What Teddies to use?
The considerations here included.
Size -
Style -
Materials -
Toy Safety Regulations -
Cost -
We now have TLC Teddy design exclusive to us.
Average cost per teddy is around £1.30, including delivery.
How to source the Teddies?
This has now developed into bulk manufacture of our own design.
Which A&Es to supply?
Do we use Provincial or A&E and NHS Trust Boundaries?
It was decided that Provincial boundaries would be used. The offer of the Teddies was made to all A&E units in Essex
How to distribute to A&Es?
Logistics of Storage and delivery
A local businessman heard of what we were trying to do, liked the Idea, and offered his assistance. He is not a Freemason.
How to organise the Appeal – and what form should it take?
A committee was set up from volunteers
The Appeal became a Trust and was registered as a Charity -
Fundraising
Is the overall cost fundable?
From the positive response we received whilst explaining the concept, it was felt that the support was there.
How do we raise funds?
Donations by Lodges
Donations by Individuals
The sale of Lapel/Tie Pins
The sale of Key Rings
The sale of other Teddies (not the same size or style as the teddies donated to the Hospitals)
How to keep up the impetus of interest for Freemasons?
Self promoting – many Freemasons know someone who has benefited.
Regular articles in Provincial Magazines.
Members of the committee and volunteers visit and keep in contact with Lodges, to keep them advised of the progress of the Appeal.
Benefits of the Appeal
Benefits for the Community in General
The appeal benefits the community through the A&E departments that serve them. The
use of the teddies within A&E units has been proved to have beneficial effects for
the children admitted to A&E units -
As something for the staff to befriend the child with,
For the child to cuddle,
As a reward for being brave,
For staff to demonstrate what they are going to do
The medical staff – as these teddies allow staff to befriend the children and relieve their distress, the medical staff are able to administer medical treatment more easily and quickly.
A quote from one A&E Sister “I cannot remember how we used to cope with these children before the Teddies. I hope that you can continue to supply them for a long time”.
The parents, guardians and siblings of the children – by relieving the distress of the children, the distress of the parents, guardians and siblings is also relieved.
In addition, parents have related many stories of how this simple gesture has helped their children, themselves and the medical staff.
Many children who have received TLC Teddies treat them as very special toys. One little girl who suffered serious burns named her Teddy “Burnie” Another calls her teddy “Mason” and another is named “Broomfield” after the hospital where he was treated. Where the child returns to hospital for further treatment, more often than not the TLC Teddy that they were given at A&E accompanies them. The TLC Teddy seems to provide them with confidence and reassurance.
Benefits for Freemasonry
The appeal is a Masonic initiative and therefore no reward is required and it is not an objective. But the pure nature of the appeal has benefited Freemasonry.
The appeal has raised the level of public awareness of the contribution made to the
community by Freemasonry, a greater understanding of the principles on which Freemasonry
is founded, and how those principles are exercised in the modern world:-
The launch of the TLC Teddies by the Appeal in Essex, with simultaneous delivery of the first teddy bears to A&E units, resulted in positive articles and pictures in more than 20 local newspapers, local radio coverage and a local TV.
A senior A&E consultant asked privately to learn more about Freemasonry; he now believes that the negative views he was taught at college are not a true reflection!
Each teddy carries a tag “Donated by Local Freemasons”, which provides continuous evidence of the principles of Freemasonry in practice.
In a press interview with the Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Essex during “Freemasonry in the Community Week”, the reporter specifically made reference in the article to the TLC Appeal and the real benefit that she and her child had gained when admitted to A&E from this “small and simple gesture”. This helped her come to the conclusion our “ritual and secret handshake should be left untouched – we are all entitled to secrets”.
Many of the public have insisted on making donations, purely based on the concept and seeing the benefits of the Appeal in action.
At least one new Freemason has been initiated as a result of his children being helped by the TLC Appeal, and I am sure that many more are influenced.
For our membership, their enthusiasm to be part of the Appeal has been overwhelming. Whether the contribution has been financial or practical, almost all of the brethren, and their partners and families, want to be identified with the Appeal.
