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if you stuff your teddy with old tights they may be rejected, Find out more here
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Teddies for Tragedies

Frequently Asked Questions

email if the answer is not here

I'm worried about European Standard. Can we give teddies in UK and Europe without breaking a law? Yes you can, Teddies for Tragedies is a knitting pattern and you can give a teddy wherever you wish without the need for an EC mark. If you follow all the rules, your teddy would pass the test to get that mark (I've checked).
How big is a teddy? Ideally not more than 10" (26cm). After knitting the first leg measure it, if it's 3 ½ " (9cm) the finished teddy will be right size.
Can teddies be of any colour? Yes, feedback from Growing Care in Romania says the children like the most colourful ones best, there's a picture of some of them on the Teddy Travels page with yellow pink and green faces!
Note of caution: in some societies white is the colour of mourning/death so teddies with white faces may not be as welcome.
I always stuffed my teddies with old tights (pantyhose). Why is that no longer acceptable? Standards get stricter all the time. Use only approved stuffing, look for BS1425 or BS5852; these are the standards for toys and soft furnishings. If you see BN71 that's OK too.
I don't understand some of the instructions. Please tell me, you're probably not the only one and together we can improve them. If you're having diffucilty with UK US and metric needle sizes visit Yarn Forward for a very clear chart.
Who owns teddy pattern? The pattern is not copyright. Anyone can use the pattern, for any child. It's the smiles that count.
I've knitted teddies for years and delivered locally, what's in it for me? Tell me your story and it can be added to the Teddy Travels page. Knitters love to read about what other are doing and if you've got digital pictures, send them too.
Do teddies have to go overseas? No, we have needy children in UK too. Teddies have been given to children after one of our more frequent floods, when children may have lost all their toys. They are also given to Women's Refuges and all the emergency services. Be alert to a local situation.
How do you find places to send teddies? With difficulty. I contact charities, friends overseas and friends in UK who might be "going home" and know of a local need. Please do the same.
I know of a good cause that wants lots of teddies what do I do? Just shout, and send the details via the Contact Page and the teddies will be on their way.
Why is there a page about British Standards? By aiming to have our teddies good enough to get a kite mark then more charities will be able to accept them.
I found a typo or other inaccuracy Tell me PLEASE. and many thanks to Mishu who checks regularly and has found most of them.
My question isn't answered? Go to the Contact Page. all emails are answered individually though not always immediately!

If you'd like to find out more about the Charities that help get our teddies to needy children, here's a few of them.
Mercy Trucks is a small charity based in Hexham Northumberland they do great work - visit the website to find out more.   
Mercy Trucks 		The Rotary LifeBox helps those in need by providing basic provisions that we take for granted but are so desperately needed by those affected by earthquake, flood, drought and war.   
LifeBox 		When your family has lost everything, you can share your troubles with your teddy.   
ShelterBox 		Albert Camus, the French Philosopher said that where there is no hope, we must invent it.   
Hope and Aid Direct 		Recently Education Action have sent teddies to Sudan and Uganda.   
Education International 		Women and Children in Africa - Working to alleviate hardship and suffering by funding projects which provide a sustainable benefit and help give women and children in Africa a better quality of life.   
WACIA 		Imagine ships crewed by doctors, nurses, water engineers and agriculturalists visiting some of the world's poorest countries. Now imagine their life-changing services offered free of charge...   
Mercy Ships 		Grassroots is a Christian charity focused on enabling and supporting individuals to know and serve Jesus better.   
Grassroots 		You can see pictures of teddies in Bantul on our teddy travels page.   
Bantul Kindergarten Project 		Project Peru is a totally voluntary Guildford-based charity supporting a children's refuge in the desert shanty towns of Lima.   
Project Peru

Please don't send unsolicited teddies to charities. They may not have storage facilities and there is a limit to how many a charity can cope with at one time.
Check with the website and your teddies will go where they're needed.
Also keep a look-out in local papers, they are a good source of new outlets.
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6th March 2008