Cuddly teddy bears have been donated to Stockport's Stepping Hill Hospital by the Freemasons of Cheshire.

Through their Teddies for Loving Care (TLC) programme, Freemasons have provided 7,000 new teddy bears to hospitals throughout the area, including Stepping Hill.

A visit to the hospital can be scary for children; these bears will provide much-needed comfort to children in Emergency departments, helping to reduce the shock and distress of their experience.

Every child who receives a teddy gets to take it home.

reemasons of Cheshire have donated nearly 7000 cuddly teddy bears to local hospitals in the last year, with Stepping Hill being one of them (Freemasons of Cheshire).

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 across these two nations.

The work of TLC is funded through the generous donations of Freemasons, their families and supporters of the programme.

Managing the scheme takes hundreds of volunteered hours to deliver bears to hospitals, campaign to raise funds and increase awareness through events and talks.

Michael Ross, 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."

The teddy bears aim to help kids deal with the uncertainty and unfamiliarity of a hospital stay (Freemasons of Cheshire).

And it's not just Stepping Hill that has received some cuddly bears.

During 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, Leighton Hospital in Crewe, 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 even runs in the London Marathon.

Mr Ross said: "The TLC program is a true team effort.

"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."

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

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