CrossCountry joins forces with TeddyBusz and Hero Bears for Refugee Children to transport teddy bears for children in Ukraine
CrossCountry has joined forced with TeddyBusz, which was founded by a group of friends a year ago to transport teddies for children in Ukraine.
On Thursday 23 March, lots of bears and other knitted items will travel on the 0740 from Newcastle to Bristol, before being driven across Europe to Ukraine by TeddyBusz founder, David Fricker. The bears will travel in style with a teddy bear’s picnic before making their long journey to Ukraine, where they will be handed out along with Easter Eggs directly to those in need in the small railway town of Zahony on the Hungarian-Ukraine border.
Founder of TeddyBusz, and Train Driver, David Fricker said: “When the war broke out, we were keen to play out part and help in some way. We started out by collecting teddy bears and toys in the Bristol and North Somerset area and received a huge amount of local support. Our first trip lasted three months, with a 53-seater coach packed with supplies and 5,000 teddies from around Bristol. Interest in our work has continued to grow and we’ve taken donations from further afield in the UK and around the world. We’re delighted to support a local community group in the North East, called Hero Bears for Refugee Children, who were knitting bears for children in Ukraine”
David added: “As a railway man, it’s particularly special to support families in Zahony, who’s railway workers operate the cross-border evacuation trains and has strong links with the railway.”
David Slater, Head of Operational Resilience at CrossCountry said: “We’re really pleased to support TeddyBusz and the many knitters who have come together to bring comfort and joy to the children of Ukraine. This special teddy bear’s picnic is a wonderful way to mark the first anniversary of this organisation.”
Community group, Hero Bears for Refugee Children, have knitted over 1,500 items to date.
Knitter, Ann Wright said: “When the war in Ukraine started, we started to knit and crochet hero bears for the children affected. Over the past year, we’ve also knitted blankets, jumpers, hats, socks and of course bears and other animals to bring a little comfort and joy to the children caught up in this dreadful conflict. We are grateful to CrossCountry for transporting our little bears and joining us in showing the people of Ukraine that we care.”