Travis Perkins (TP) has joined up with a charitable organisation to help distribute thousands of teddy bears and messages of hope from British school children to children living in refugee camps.
The builders merchant group has engaged its transport fleet and a number of its branches for the initiative, collecting the teddies from around the country and transporting them to central despatch points where they await imminent shipping to refugee children in Syria, Turkey and Jordan.

TP employee Lauren Casey is a supporter of Project Paddington, which was set up to help children in the UK respond to the growing refugee crisis. But when she discovered that it was struggling with logistics she challenged TP to get involved, and the company responded in style.

"Thousands of teddy bears were delivered to over 35 of our stores, where they were collected by our fleet and taken to a central despatch point," she explained. "A couple of branches even went to collect bears from local schools.

"In total, we will have had around 30,000 teddy bears through the branch doors. This will mean 30,000 bear hugs and messages of hope, delivered directly to children facing very harsh, life-threatening conditions.

"I'm really grateful that so many other people at Travis Perkins saw what a great cause it was and stepped in to help. We were also able to arrange for almost 1,000 surplus tarpaulins to be donated to Crisis Aid, for use in Greece."

Joy French, the trainee vicar who launched Project Paddington, added: "Project Paddington began with the dream to send teddies and notes from UK children to children who have lost everything. With our team made up of volunteer mums, none of us had experience in logistics.

"When we needed expert help to move the teddies around the country, our friends at Travis Perkins stepped in. We're so grateful for their logistical support which has enabled the project to run smoothly. Together, we hope to put smiles on the faces of thousands of refugee children this winter."