From Budleigh with love: handmade teddies for children in distress

Volunteer knitters at The Firs retirement home in Budleigh Salterton have been putting their needles to thoughtful use - creating handmade comfort teddy bears for children who come into contact with Devon & Cornwall Police.

The heart-warming donation was presented to local Neighbourhood Team Inspector Mat Helm, who recently visited The Firs to thank the residents personally and collect the knitted bears.

Inspector Helm, who covers the Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton and Ottery St Mary police sector, explained, “I recently accepted a kind invitation from The Firs residents to go along and meet them, as well as enjoy a cuppa with staff. It was great to hear their views. Some of them wanted to sit in the police car and try on my hat, I had a lovely time speaking to them.”

During that first visit, members of The Firs’ knitting club offered to support the police by crafting comfort toys for children facing distressing situations. True to their word, the residents have since produced a batch of beautifully made teddy bears, ready to be given to children who may have experienced trauma - whether through road traffic collisions, domestic incidents, or other difficult circumstances.

Inspector Helm continued, “Devon & Cornwall Police comes into contact with a huge number of children who have experienced trauma… Sometimes, these kids come out of a situation with nothing. The ‘comfort’ teds, which are thankfully not required too often, are something that officers have used for a while and the bears were very gratefully received by me.”

The initiative mirrors similar efforts by other emergency services who use comfort items to support children during difficult callouts. The Firs’ knitters are already looking into new patterns, with hopes of producing dolls and other soft toys to help even more children in future.

Nikki Shayler, manager of The Firs, said, “We were delighted to invite the police officers to come and collect the comfort bears that were knitted by the ladies during their regular knitting club. The bears were presented by resident Janet who told me that she hopes these bears give comfort for children in distress. Our residents at the Firs, plus the staff really enjoyed the police visit!”