Teddies for Loving Care (Gibraltar)

What is TLC (Gibraltar)?

TLC (Gibraltar) is a charity that provides much-needed comfort to children in hospital by gifting them a teddy bear to hold whilst undergoing a medical emergency, or routine medical procedure.

As parents will attest, a hospital visit can be a frightening experience for any child. The charity’s aim is to not only relieve a child’s fears, but to also help assist medical professionals; in many cases being able to demonstrate what they will need to do on a soft and cuddly Teddy. The Teddies have also, on occasion, been given to siblings who are upset at seeing their brother or sister in distress, as well as Dementia Patients. Every child who receives a Teddy gets to take it home.

TLC (Gibraltar) provides Teddies to:

• St Bernard’s Hospital A & E Dept, Rainbow Ward and Children's Blood Dept.
• Children’s Medical Centre and Primary Care Centre (PCC)
• The Princess Royal Medical Centre (PRMC) at Devils Tower Camp (MoD)

Since 2006 approximately 16-17000 Teddies have been donated locally.

History of TLC (Gibraltar)

Teddies for Loving Care (TLC) was originally an initiative founded in England in 2001 by a Province of Essex Freemason, which soon spread across several English provinces and overseas. TLC (Gibraltar) was founded as a Gibraltar charity in 2006 by Stephen Whatley Snr, Tim Turner and the late Ron Starkey: all Freemasons of the District Grand Lodge of Gibraltar under the United Grand Lodge of England.

Although this is an English Constitution initiative, we in Gibraltar are quite unique in the fact that the TLC receives full support from both the Irish and Scottish Constitutions, just as it says on the tag of every Teddy: 'Donated by Local Freemasons'.

Volunteering and Donations

From its inception, the founding members decided that although it was a registered charity in Gibraltar, they would only raise funds to purchase the Teddies from amongst local freemasons. Having said that, they do not turn away any donations and have, over the years, received sums from local businesses and grateful parents.

The charity is run completely voluntarily by Gibraltar Freemasons, and all administrative costs are donated. The charity also benefits from free delivery of the Teddies from the UK to Gibraltar by local removals company, Bishop's Move Gibraltar, allowing every penny that is raised to go directly to purchasing Teddies, thereby making it a truly masonic charity, servicing the local community.

The TLC in Gibraltar is supported by:

• District Grand Lodge of Gibraltar - EC - 9 Lodges
• Irish Inspectorate of Gibraltar- IC - 2 Lodges
• District Grand Lodge of Gibraltar - SC - 4 Lodges

Whilst funded purely by Freemasons in Gibraltar, the TLC (Gibraltar) does not turn away public donations. If you wish to make a donation, please contact us for further information.