Teddies for Loving Care “TLC” Appeal
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This Appeal has a simple objective: for Freemasons to provide teddies or soft toys to Accident and Emergency Units in Cheshire Hospitals:
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For the medical staff to give, at their discretion, to children who are in severe distress
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And where the staff feel that a teddy to cuddle will help alleviate that distress
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And assist them in their urgent work
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The children take the teddies home with them.
How it works
The beauty of our appeal is its simplicity. Through individual Lodges, Freemasons buy a teddy lapel badge.
Every lapel badge sold allows us to purchase two teddies, which are then donated to A&E departments.
It’s a simple as that!
The Appeal in Cheshire
To date we have donated over 2000 teddies to A&E departments within the Province of Cheshire, with very positive feedback from staff, who have expressed their appreciation.
Benefits for the Community in General
The appeal benefits the community through the A&E departments who serve them. The use of the teddies within A&E units has been proved to have beneficial effects for:
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The children admitted to A&E units - by relieving the distress that they face and alleviating the fear of the being treated by complete strangers
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The teddies are used in various ways
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As something for the staff to help befriend the child
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For the child to cuddle
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As a reward for being brave
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For staff to demonstrate what they are going to do
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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
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The medical staff — as these teddies allow staff to help 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
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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". 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 sought. The simple nature of the appeal has benefited Freemasonry by raising our profile in a positive way.
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.
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The launch of the TLC Teddies Appeal in Cheshire has resulted in a positive response from hospital staff and public
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Each teddy carries a tag “Donated by Local Freemasons”, which provides continuous evidence of the principles of Freemasonry in practice
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Enthusiasm for this project, within Freemasonry, is growing rapidly. Whether the contribution is financial or practical, our members want to be identified with the Appeal.
Conclusion
We are greatly encouraged by the interest that the Appeal has generated in the Province of Cheshire, both amongst our membership and Hospital staff, with whom we are currently working. We believe that the TLC Appeal makes a real and practical contribution to the community in general, and provides a real opportunity for us to put before the public one of our important principles in a discreet and meaningful way.
Summary
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Teddies for Loving Care, the TLC Appeal, demonstrates Masonic principles in a real, active and modern way
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It’s activities are for the benefit of the community in general
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It directly helps the public at a moment of need - through relieving the distress of their children
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It is aimed at children admitted to A&E units, at a time of severe distress and concern for both children and parents
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The idea is simple — Freemasons buy TLC lapel badges, which fund the purchase of teddies. These are then supplied to A&E units for medical staff to use to calm severely distressed children
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TLC is fully supported by hospitals and A&E medical staff
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The TLC Appeal has now been launched in the province of Cheshire and to date over 2000 teddies have been given to distressed children attending Cheshire A&E departments
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Freemasons are enthusiastic about the Appeal
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| And the Teddy has a new friend too!! |
