If you go down to Altnagelvin today, you’re in for a big surprise… 10,000 teddy bears there for certain because

Ten thousand teddy bears have been presented to children visiting the Accident and Emergency Department at Altnagelvin Hospital over the past three years, it has been revealed. . The Freemasons charity project, which started in England, was implemented by lodges across Ireland in 2013.

Since then Irish Free Masons - across 32 counties - have distributed 100,000 teddies to sick children presenting at Accident and Emergency departments across Ireland.

Teddies handed out at Altnagelvin A&E account for a tenth of that number.

Three hundred teddies are delivered to the hospital at a time and are handed out over a two-three week period.

Money to fund the project is gathered through donations by lodge members.

The Derry Freemasons lodge has been based on Bishop Street since 1943, previously housed on Magazine Street amongst other locations.

As children are not allowed to take teddies or toys into hospital for fear of spreading infection, the Freemasons came up with the idea of buying thousands of teddies to distribute to local hospitals.

They are all sealed so there is no fear of cross-contamination.

Assistant secretary at the provincial Grand Lodge, Stuart McCarter, said: “The teddies are handed out by the nurses at Altnagelvin.

“They find it calms the children down when they have come into the accident and emergency department in a distressed state.

“It takes the anxiety and stress away from the young patients, their parents and the doctors and nurses treating them.”

The teddy project is an idea the Free Masons intend to run for as long as possible.

Mr McCarter concluded: “It is something that has proved to be very effective with the children and the staff are pleased with it as well, and that’s something to be proud of.”