A Highland charity campaign which will provide youngsters with a knitted teddy bear in traumatic situations is ready to go after generous donations from the public.
The charity Safe Strong and Free began the campaign just one month ago aiming to obtain 200 teddies, one for each of the north’s police units.
Following a string of generous donations from residents in the Highlands – as well as a group of keen knitters in France – the scheme has received more than 250 Trauma Teddies; leading organisers to begin preparing its impending launch across the force.
Kerry Glen, Project Manager for Safe Strong and Free said: “We are absolutely delighted. The public have been amazing. We have had people who haven’t been able to knit donating wool, by coming into the office and dropping it off. People have been incredibly generous; it’s far exceeded over and above our expectations. Everyone has been talking about it and what a great idea it is – it’s very positive everywhere. We are very grateful for the generosity.”
Each ‘Trauma Teddy’ will be carried by police officers on duty in their patrol cars and given to any youngsters experiencing a distressing situation
A police spokesman said: “We want to thank everyone for their incredible response to our Trauma Teddy knitting appeal so far.
“Everyone who was contributed their knitting skills to the cause can rest assured their hard work will soon be put to good use helping provide comfort to young children who come into contact with our officers.”
