How it all began…
Ellie Somme founded The Teddy Trust after life changing meeting with Judy Westwater. Here is Ellie’s story…
When I read Judy Westwater’s story of the abuse she suffered as a child – Street Kid and Nowhere to Run – I contacted her and she came to see me. Judy brought with her photos of the children she had saved in South Africa through her charity the Pegasus Children’s Charity. One photo showed a group of children playing together but one small girl sat very much apart from the others, locked within herself. When I asked Judy who she was, she told me that her charity had found the girl begging in a café. She was about six years old and they have called her Honour, but she can’t talk or walk and she has suffered multiple operations for the damage that was done to her and still struggles to go to the toilet. And Honour is now HIV positive.
So how do you help a child like Honour? I could send money which would buy her some school books, a doll to play with or some colouring books and pencils. My heart bled for this damaged little girl and so, through Judy, I sent her a lovely soft teddy bear. One that could listen to her as she whispered to him, that would comfort her through dark, lonely nights and who wouldn’t judge her or threaten her and would always be there just for her. Quietly watching over her. Honour’s teddy bear has accompanied her to every operation since then.
And so the Teddy Trust was born, thanks to that little girl they called Honour. Every year we collect and send thousands of teddy bears to children who have suffered the horrors of war, sexual abuse or hunger and poverty. The teddy bears are not toys. They are sent with love and compassion from children in the UK who have understood what we do and have sent us their precious teddy bears. We believe that every teddy bear, given with love, can bring a little healing into very bleak lives.
That’s why we are so very specific about what we ask you to send. No snakes, monsters, keyrings, dolls, rag dolls, knitted toys, beanie babies, Ty toys, pillows, puppets, branded goods or plastic toys. No seals, fish, whales, monkeys or other animals. And definitely nothing that makes any sort of noise – bells, recorded message inside etc. – because sometimes these children have to hide and if the teddy bear makes a noise that can have catastrophic consequences. Just soft, cuddly friendly teddy bears that can do such an important job. And they need to be clean and in good condition please. We make sure that every teddy bear we send is special.
We have sent over 120,000 teddy bears – 10,000 since May 2021, and they have gone to over fifteen countries. Places like South Africa where the teddy bears are used by the police in their rape crisis centres and hospital forensic units; Syria where they have been taken into many villages and towns that have suffered the devastation of a very long civil war; Malawi where children have to walk miles every day to get to school and only have one meal a day; Iraq; Greece to the refugee camps; and Kurdistan where they are given to the Yazidi children whose families suffered so horribly at the hands of Isis a few years ago. We work with other charities and organisations so we know that our teddy bears will reach the children they are intended for. And we’ve worked with several major businesses in the UK who have seen and liked the work we do.
We are run entirely by volunteers – no one gets paid. All the money you donate is used to ship the teddy bears. We have no plush offices, no big cars and no bonuses! Just plain honest charity! Our aim is to send 20,000 teddy bears every year and we are well ahead of our target for this year. And with your help and support we can reach many more little Honours!
Thank you
Ellie
