Skywatch Friday...

As you know, I am still staying with my Grandma.

If you look very carefully at the first picture, on the horizon is actually the moor road from Guisborough to Whitby.

This is the road I will be travelling home on later today when mummy comes to collect me.

I have had a great time with Grandma, Molly and Holly but I am so looking forward to coming home.

I have lots to share but I must dash and pack my bags.

But I would like to thank Teddies at home for sitting on the windowsill and waiting for the sunset.

The photographs were all taken last night.

I would also like to thank those of you who have donated towards the charity.

I am getting near my target.

I only need £30 ($15) and I will have secured my ticket.

If anybody would like to make a donation please see the words in red on my sidebar! Thank you so much!

Just for you...here is the very first edition of the Teddy Times, released from the Hospice this morning.....please note my story made the paper!

Arctic Teddy Times



Welcome to the first edition of ‘Arctic Teddy Times’.

We have now officially launched our ‘Teddies to the Arctic’ campaign where we are trying to raise £30,000 for the development of the Specialist Children’s Bereavement Counselling Service at St Teresa’s Hospice.

The launch went well. Fourum folk group were well received by a gathering of some 100 strong at Northland Methodist Church in Darlington. The day raised about £600.00, which has taken our total raised so far to a little over £2000.00. Not a bad total to start with.

Over the coming months there will be a number of other fundraising events, mostly, I would have to say at Methodist Churches in and around Darlington. One of the most entertaining of these will be a concert given by our godson Mike who is a member of the National Youth Brass Band. He will be joined by Geoff, Heather & his dad, Richard……but Mike is the star. We are greatly touched that this young lad of 14yrs is willing to give up so much of his time to help raise money for this excellent cause.

Other folk willing to give up their time are a number of friends who we affectionately call ‘The teddy Team’. These good folk can be easily identified at our events as they have all bought themselves special polo shirts and sweatshirts.

So popular are our polo and sweatshirts that we have made arrangements to have some specially printed to sell. They come in a variety of colours and all have the logo on the front (similar to the one Mike is wearing in the picture). If you know anyone who would like one, they can be ordered from me (via the hospice or the website).

We now have 6 fully paid-up bears who are ready and waiting for the trip and many more who have registered. All the bears will be given a badge with their name and a number for the trip so that when we return they can be returned to their owner safely.
Many of you reading this newsletter will still be collecting for your bear (and there’s plenty of time yet) but when you do drop off the bear for me, please put him in a bag (paper may be kindest!) and put his name and your name on it. At the moment teddy ID isn’t a problem, but the nearer we get to the trip, the harder I can see it will be to make sure they are all identified correctly.

We’re delighted to be able to say that we are receiving support from different parts of the country and in many different ways.

In December Teddy Bear Club International published a wonderful double page colour spread on our planned adventure. From that article we were contacted by two of their lovely readers, Carol and Sandra. Both have donated some beautiful bears for our fundraising events and Sandra has even made a little ‘cross-eyed’ bear specially for a church in Shildon to sponsor. (The Minister there, Graham, used to be the minister at Northland and told us once about a ‘cross-eyed’ bear called Gladly……Gladly the cross I’d bear). We know Gladly will be loved and cherished by Graham and the good folk of Shildon when he gets there. In he meantime he is living with us and being greatly admired.

We have recently seen the power of the internet at work in fundraising.
Following Heather’s interview on BBC Radio Tees we were contacted by a lady in Saltburn who has many internet friends. She wants to send Edmund Bear (named after Sir Edmund Hillary) on the picnic and asked if her friends can donate ‘on-line’. We have a link on our website for on-line donations and she suggested that she points her internet friends to that and leave a message in the comments to say that the donation is for Edmund. It’s working very well and Edmund is well on the way to raising his full fare. We’ve been really impressed with how this has gone, and if anyone else has friends from a distance who want to donate this way, do suggest that they follow Edmund’s example and leave a comment donating to your bear.

Many of our own bears have started their fundraising campaign. Barnaby, who is hosting the picnic is going to do a bunjee jump from the hospice tower, whilst Dumpling has started her sponsored slim. We’ll let you know how she gets on.

We’ll look forward to hearing from most of you (with your bears) at some point. But, in the meantime, good luck with your fundraising, and let us know if we can help at all. If you want to catch up with us at any of our fundraising events they are on the website (or the enclosed leaflet for those receiving this by post).
Thanks for your support
Heather & Geoff




Lots of love
Edmund