By Olivia Condous
A group of Melton volunteers have been recognised for their hard work making teddy bears for those in need.
Melton Red Cross Trauma Teddies were presented with a donation of $700 from Djerriwarrh Masonic Lodge last week, in order to help purchase more wool for teddies to be donated.
The group donate handmade, knitted teddy bears to local medical centres, SES units, police stations and other organisations who encounter vulnerable people in the community.
While hospitals aren’t currently accepting teddies due to COVID-19 safety measures, Melton Trauma Teddies co-ordinator Jean Dickson said the best recognition was the reaction from children in hospitals.
“The kids just love them,” she said.
The donation will help the group volunteers to make 750 more teddies for the community.
“We have ladies that have been knitting for years, most of them buy their own wool,” Ms Dickson said.
The initiative has been running in Melton for thirteen years, with some long standing volunteers knitting thousands of teddies individually during that time.
“During COVID, the volunteers couldn’t do much else so we had truckloads of teddies.”
Ms Dickson said the group had knitted 1044 teddies last year and 500 so far this year.
Djerriwarrh Lodge member David Suttie said the group had supported Melton Trauma Teddies for many years and wanted to recognise a small group in the local area.
“It’s not a lot of money in the scheme of things, but to those ladies it makes a massive difference,” Mr Suttie said.
“The work that they do in making those teddies and providing them to children and people who go through stressful situations, is really great,
“I can’t sew to save myself, but the least we can do is provide some funding for the good work that they do.”
