Teddies are a real comfort to refugee kids
A Clackmannanshire grandmother has galvanised an army of Scots knitters to make teddy bears for children arriving in Scotland from warn torn Ukraine.
Retired primary school teacher Eilidh Dow, from Dollar, had been knitting ‘trauma teddies’ throughout the winter to send to children experiencing traumatic or distressing events in the world.
When the war in Ukraine unfolded, she started knitting the teddies in the Ukrainian flag colours with a vision that every child refugee arriving in Scotland would be given a teddy.
The Facebook group ‘Teddies for Ukraine’ was set up and the knitting pattern for the teddy posted online.
Within one week, the Facebook page had amassed just under 650 followers, with people across Scotland now knitting the teddies.
One of the first organisations to get behind the initiative was Gartmore House which offers creative holidays and activity camps, including knitting, arts and crafts.
Upon hearing of the launch of Teddies for Ukraine, the knitters staying at the residence got knitting right away.
Keen to find a single distributor for the teddies to ensure that as many children arriving in Scotland receive a teddy with a handwritten welcome note, Eilidh’s daughter contacted Hibernian FC’s charity Dnipro Kids. The first flight bringing Ukrainian children to Scotland from Poland touched down in Scotland last Wednesday. On the Friday, the orphanage children, now staying in the Callander area, received their teddies in their welcome box delivered by the charity.
Eilidh said: “These children have had their lives turned inside out – so many traumas rolled into one almighty nightmare. We hope this sends a message to Ukraine and its people just how much people in Scotland are thinking about them, how much we care and how much we all want to do what we can to help.
“Scots are famous the world over for our warm welcome and hospitality.
“We all want to make a difference right now and we are just so moved by the number of people who have got behind the project and now knitting those little bears which are being given to the children when they arrive after a long, exhausting and harrowing journey to our home in Scotland.
“The interest we’ve had has been overwhelming.”
Mags McPherson, a volunteer with Dnipro Kids, said: “The group arrived safely overnight in Callander last week and Friday saw what was the most humbling and rewarding day of my life when I was privileged to be allowed to travel to Callander with the boxes, each box labelled with the child or adult’s name and a welcome message.
“To see the delighted faces when they opened the boxes was truly amazing.
“The Teddies for Ukraine project has really captured the nation’s mood and provided so much love and positivity at the most difficult of times.”
The teddies will now also be distributed to Ukrainian children via a number of avenues, including the Ukrainian Club in Edinburgh.
Peter Sunderland, director of Gartmore Estate, said: “When we heard about the initiative, we had a crafts group in who were knitting by the fire and immediately got cracking on the pattern from Mrs Dow. People want to help in whatever large and small ways they can.”
The knitting pattern for the teddies can be found on the Teddies for Ukraine Facebook page www.facebook.com/UkrainianTeddies.
Knitters are sharing pictures of their teddies every day before they send to Dnipro Kids on the Facebook page @ UkraineTeddies.
The Dnipro Kids charity began in 2005, when a group of Hibernian FC fans travelled to Dnipro for a UEFA Cup game and organised a collection for local orphans.
Within a year, Dnipro Kids had been officially launched back in Edinburgh, raising £16,000 in donations from supporters.
The knitted teddies can be sent to Teddies for Ukraine, Hibernian Community Foundation, 12 Albion Place, Easter Road Stadium, Edinburgh, EH7 5QG.
Once the Ukrainian club have set up their hub, the teddies will be distributed through their organisation.
These children have had their lives turned inside out Eilidh Dow