Britain’s oldest remaining teddy bear manufacturer is supporting the NHS and the coronavirus fighting fund thanks to a special souvenir bear and his cuddly companions. 

Bevan the Bear, originally created to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the NHS, is making a comeback and will be joined by a selection of Merrythought’s traditional, British-made teddy bears to raise funds for the NHS Charities Covid-19 Appeal and SATH, the company’s local Hospital Trust in Shropshire

The ‘Blue Ribbon’ campaign collection also includes Merrythought’s best-selling London Curly Gold bear, together with  Oxford, Traditional Cheeky and of course Bevan – named after founder of the NHS,Aneurin Bevan. Paying tribute to the NHS frontline heroes, Merrythought has chosen only teddy bears that wear a blue ribbon, with a minimum of 20% of all online sales to be donated to the charities.

“While a Merrythought teddy bear is the ideal companion to get you through challenging times such as these, choosing a special bear for either yourself or a loved one will now also help the NHS and those affected by Covid-19,” said fourth-generation managing director of Merrythought Sarah Holmes.

“Bevan is a particularly special bear for us and we were very proud of our collaboration with Shrewsbuy and Telford Hospital Trust, our local NHS Trust. We now want to build on this to help  the wider NHS as it faces such an unprecedented crisis.

Merrythought, which marks its 90th anniversary this year, is famous for crafting the finest, British-madeteddy bears, which are adored by children and adults across the world.

“We appreciate the difficulties that families and the NHS are facing at the moment, and are keen to see the Merrythought teddy bear giving some financial and emotional support to those affected by Covid-19. Merrythought is very much a business which has been at the heart of the community for the last nine decades, and we hope to continue to be so for generations to come.”

While the Merrythought Shop in Ironbridge has had to close in line with current Government restrictions, orders can still be placed online.

“We are proud that our teddy bears are British made, and we appreciate all the efforts across the community to support British businesses as we all try our best to get through this crisis together.” 

Bevan is on sale for £89, and is available alongside the rest of the Blue Ribbon Collection at www.merrythought.co.uk. 

Interesting and heartwarming news today:

Firefighters will be able to deliver food and medicines, drive ambulances, and retrieve dead bodies during the coronavirus outbreak in an unprecedented agreement between the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), fire chiefs, and Fire and Rescue Employers.

For the first time, all three stakeholder groups have agreed a joint national approach to the crisis. The fire service organisations say that the measures in the agreement reflect the scale of the national crisis and the urgency of the response required.

Under the agreement, firefighters will be able to:

·         Deliver essential items like food and medicines to vulnerable people

·         Drive ambulances and assist ambulance staff

·         Retrieve dead bodies, should the outbreak cause mass casualties

Firefighters will continue responding to core emergencies, such as fires and road traffic collisions, but under the agreement can now provide additional services specifically related to COVID19. The agreement states that core responsibilities must be maintained throughout the crisis.

The organisations will meet weekly to discuss any additional requests for assistance made by Local Resilience Forums and Strategic Coordination Groups. Any activities considered will be risk assessed with fire and rescue personnel being given any necessary additional training and the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

The additional work taken on by firefighters will be temporary to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially in place for two months, the agreement can be extended or shortened if agreed between all parties.

The agreement between National Employers, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and the FBU follows measures to limit cross-infection between firefighters and the public, agreed earlier this week.

There are around 48,000 firefighters and emergency control staff in the UK.

Matt Wrack, FBU general secretary, said:

“We face a public health crisis unparalleled in our lifetimes. The coronavirus outbreak is now a humanitarian emergency and firefighters rightly want help their communities.

“To get through this, we must find ways to work together with other emergency services. Firefighters are fantastic at teamwork, are experienced in driving emergency vehicles and, as a service rooted in the community, may be best placed to deliver essential items to the most vulnerable.

“Many fear the loss of life in this outbreak could be overwhelming– and firefighters, who often handle terrible situations and incidents, are ready to step in to assist with body retrieval.

“Firefighters and control staff have always stepped in when the public has been in danger and this crisis is no different. The strain on all emergency services will be great, but we can and will get through it together.”

Roy Wilsher, Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council, said:

“All fire services are working to protect communities during COVID-19 and they will use their wide-range of capabilities and skills to ensure community reassurance and support; doing what they can to support people through this crisis.

“This joined-up approach is testament to the three organisations working together, to ensure fire and rescue services can be at the forefront of the response to the current situation. I look forward to continuing this joined-up work with the National Employers and FBU.”

Cllr Nick Chard, Chair of the National Employers, said:

“We have worked at pace to bring an extra resource to the battle against the impact of COVID 19, working collaboratively with the FBU and NFCC for the benefit of local people.”

“Fire and Rescue has always played its role in meeting seemingly insurmountable challenges and this crisis is no exception.  We can immediately step up our assistance to support our over stretched public sector colleagues, especially ambulance services, with our can do attitude and sense of community spirit.”

Dead Man’s Daughter by Roz Watkins   HQ pb £7.99 eBook and audio.

A thriller set in the Peak District, which is of course, beautiful but can be challenging. Just like this book, because a child is involved. I find thrillers involving children ‘on the edge’ of my comfort zone. I think Watkins has pulled it off. Read it, and see what you think.

DI Meg Dalton isn’t prepared for her latest case – a child found running through woods, her nightdress covered in blood. Nearby her father is also found, stabbed, dead.

Just as most would, Dalton thinks of a violent intruder but there are complications. The father was obsessed with odd statues in the woods. Added to this was his obsession with his daughter’s recent heart transplant. Watkins begins to ask herself if the new heart has altered the child? This leads to the big question: who exactly was the donor? How did he/she die? Is there a killer out there? Is the child safe?

Give it a whirl. Watkins first book, The Devil’s Dice was shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger Award and is optioned for TV.

Her Last Breath by Alison Belsham   Trapeze pb £8.99

Oh crikey – The body count is rising, the clock is ticking. Is this a classic page turner – a race against time?

When a young woman is attacked, but not quite killed. Can the police find her killer before she dies? What does her tattoo mean?

Then another woman disappears. Is there a serial killer trawling the streets of Brighton?

Detective Francis Sullivan and his team suspect Alex  Mullins, the son of Francis’s lover. Oh lord… What does Francis do? Yep, read it, you will turn the pages.

One Fatal Mistake by Tom Hunt   Orion. pb £8.99

I find this sort of crime far too realistic to read with equanimity. Because … because … Would we all cover up, if our son killed someone in an accident, and ran away from the scene? Joshua Mayo  and his mother do just this – but that never works, does it. Or does it? Will someone find out, if so what will they do? Will the weight and increasing complexity of the deceit ruin them anyway. Read it, and find out.