Dear Teddy bear people,

First of all may I say a big thank you for what you are achieving with your campaign. When I found it on the internet, it hit me with memories and feelings I had hidden for many, many years.

I was brought up in a partially violent, but sometimes loving, family. I do, however, have memories which I have tried to block. Nights of being left on my own, with no electricity for lighting, no food to eat and the fear that a good hiding could be the result of being found awake when the adults returned home from a night of drinking. Although I have now made peace with all this and have learnt to understand why it happened, but the images still can bring a chill within me.

One thing during these years brought me a feeling of ‘safety’ that hid me from the darkness and took away the pain from smacked legs, as well as the feeling of bedtime with an empty stomach. That ‘thing’ was my Teddy. Given to me by a loving Gran when I was very small. It stayed as the one thing in my early life that meant love and security.

So when I saw what you were doing for children who were going through hardships far greater than I had been through, I knew I had to take part, even in a small way. So when my 66th birthday arrived I asked my friends and neighbours to donate a Teddy for your cause. So please accept our donation, in the hope that it may help a child to feel safe and secure in whatever terrible situation they now find themselves in.

In my later years I joined the Army. I hoped to find a family who would stand by me and a place I could do some good. In a way that is exactly what I found. I served in many places of conflict, from Northern Ireland to the Gulf War. Despite what some people regard as fruitless wars, I saw great things accomplished. I saw medics helping in areas where doctors were never seen. I saw engineers help to build schools and water distribution points also help with transportation of much needed food supplies.

I could go on and on about the things that the public never hear about (as it is not really ‘news worthy’).

But one thing always troubled me.

Obviously there is usually a winner in each and every conflict, and they get backed by Governments and politicians. But in EVERY conflict there are always the same group of people who are the losers, who suffer the most. And they are always the poorest of what remains.

Many of them may have been wealthy at one point and lost their homes, land and income due to war. But mostly they were the poorest to begin with, and because of others greed they now become worse than poor. They become statistics for every news feed, to promote as the ‘displaced’ and ‘starving, they quote figures of how many are dying each day (usually with great relish)…… terrible, but true. But hidden within these figures are the poor children who have lost family, who do not understand the language of the foreign aid helpers or why they must leave their village and live in a city of tents, they are just scared.

Their young lives become the worst of all nightmares one can ever imagine. Yes some countries try to give aid, we give rice and flour etc. etc. it eases the political conscious and makes good press.

But sometimes the simplest thing a child needs to cope in a world of fear, is an item that can give comfort when needed, a feeling of love, both received and given. Believe it or not your Teddy can, (in a small way), replace that love and safe feeling of a lost parent or sibling.

YOUR Teddy bears can do just that……….they do because I have seen it.

I have been to places and times that I do not wish to thing about again.

I have seen Mickey Mouse and Daffy Duck lying by the road-side, given by well meaning squaddies for the local children. They were just unwanted toys thrown to the kids in the same way as chocolate bars were in WWII.

But I have also seen children who have lost everything, hugging a Teddy Bear so tight it would make you cry.

I once saw a soldier after the Gulf was who asked his wife to send their daughter’s Teddy to him. he gave it to a kid who hung around out camp who had lost his older brother. From the day he got it he lost his sad look, he never went anywhere without Hamal, (his brother’s name and his Teddy), he will never forget his loss, but the nightmare didn’t hurt so much. Much more rewarding than chocolate bars.

So thank you from the bottom of my hear for giving me this chance to do something with my birthday celebration.

I know it is a very small gesture in the greater scheme of things, but since I have made this small effort, in the hope that even just one child feels safe in this world, I hope that I will finally get some peace within myself.

What you are doing in this crazy mixed up world is to be commended. It is simplistic, (no disrespect meant), and can be supported by anyone with a gift of a Teddy. As opposed to the vast majority of demands for £3 a month donations, which usually get taken up in admin fees or taken by corrupt politicians of the countries we are trying to help.

THANK YOU. May your donations continue to grow.

From Gerry.