Knitted Teddies have reached 10,000 to date at 30 November, 2023.

Even during this Covid 19 pandemic, teddies keep arriving by post from all over England, although I have lost several of my regular knitters. It is incredible to think that I have received and distributed 10,000 teddies to over 48 different countries through many charitable organisations. It has been more difficult since lockdown with many charities having closed their doors. However, I have a contact who sends a lorry to Romania every November and the latest consignment has been sent to him. A local residential care home was very grateful for teddies for some residents. I am hoping that the Mayor of Leicester will be doing his Toys on the Table again this year as I have presented quite a lot to him in previous years. It never ceases to amaze me how people keep knitting and I am sincerely thankful to them.

Elaine Turner, November, 2023.

Elaine’s Teddies get around the world

Over the past 12-13 years the Club, through Elaine Turner and her knitters, have produced over 9,643 knitted teddies which have been sent all around the world. One of the recent consignments has been sent to Mercy Ships a medical ship servicing West Africa where they are being used to speed up recovery of young children who have just received surgery. In many cases the teddy is the first toy they have ever had. You can see the joy they show in receiving them.

Knitted Teddies Arrive in Africa

Over the past 6 years the Lutterworth Rotary Club, through Elaine Turner and her dedicated team of knitters, have supplied a range of charities throughout the world with some 9,643 knitted teddies. These are distributed by the local communities to  traumatised, orphaned or young children starting school for the very first time.  The children would now have a toy of their own, a teddy to enjoy and “confide” in.

The recent consignment being received by the Little Faces School in Mombasa,  Kenya. The picture shows them being received by the first year kindergarten children, who have just joined the school after Christmas, and have just received their ‘welcome’ knitted teddy [& toothbrush] that had travelled all the way from Lutterworth.
They had been supplied by Elaine & Sue Turner & their legion of knitters and sent to Kenya through Sally Harrison [Rotary Club of St Neots] and her Little Faces team.

Sally wrote: ‘The children had been very quiet until they got their bears!  Most of these kids have never had something special of their own. What a difference a comforting gift can make. Thank you to everyone who spent time knitting these for the children.’ Needless to say, we will be sending another consignment to Kenya later in the year……the smiling faces make it all worthwhile

Good News - At the end of September, 2022, we have now smashed the 8,000 knitted teddy target and exceeded it thanks to lots of knitters and distributors. Since a small advert in a Church Magazine back in November 2011 asking for teddies to be knitted for children in disaster areas of the world or in trauma we have now exceeded 10,000 that have been distributed to 29 different countries by many individuals and organisations. And we are still receiving requests for more.

Teddies have been knitted by groups and people knitting alone. It is amazing to see photos of so many children bonding with the teddies and a special thank you to all near and far who have made this project so worth while.

Knitted Teddies have been sent to:-

Australia - Chile - Denmark - Easter Island - England - Ethiopia - Ghana - Goa - Kenya - Malawi - Moldavia - Mumbai - New Zealand - Northern - Ireland - Peru - Portugal - Romania - Scotland - Sierra Leone - South Africa - Syria - Taiwan - Tanzania - Turkey - Ukraine - USA - Vietnam - Wales - Zambia.

Anne Thompson Rotarian (sister of Lutterworth Rotarian, Rose Chapman) and Director of a local children’s home in South Africa receiving Teddies for the children.