More than 800 teddy bears are preparing to join Nottinghamshire Police – each with a special mission to bring comfort to children.
The hand-crafted Brave Bears have been produced using the same pattern by a small army of knitters and crocheters across the county for the annual Inspire Charity Knitting Challenge.
For the past month the 887 bears have been on display at Mansfield Central Library, where a celebration event was held on Tuesday.
Attendees, including Deputy Chief Constable Steve Cooper, met for tea and cake at a special event to thank the crafters.
At the end of their current Teddy Bear’s Picnic Exhibition, which runs until Wednesday 27 September, they will be handed over to Nottinghamshire Police where they will be used to comfort children who come into contact with officers in distressing circumstances.
Sophie Barker, first contact manager at Nottighamshire Police, said: “For us a Brave Bear is a friend for a child in need.
"We deal with a lot of vulnerable children in our work in all sorts of different situations – anything from road traffic accidents to cases where children are the victims of crime.
"However lonely they may feel at that point we will now have a little friend to give them.
“And that’s really important because in that moment these bears may be the only friend they have when they are at their most vulnerable. So to all the crafters involved in this year’s challenge – ad to all the organisers – I would like to say a huge thank you.”
The brave bears are produced to a uniform pattern created by Nottingham-based textile designer Megan Crook and are each decorated with a special Sherwood Forest acorn motif as a nod to the local area.
The initiative and exhibition, meanwhile, was organised by Inspire – a Community Benefit Society which delivers a range of cultural, art, library and learning services across Nottinghamshire.
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