An appeal which began as a token of gratitude by one Essex couple, has now reached Bay of Plenty hospitals, in an attempt to bring a little joy to unwell children this Christmas.

Teddies for Loving Care is an appeal which provides teddy bears to accident and emergency units in New Zealand.

Medical staff can give teddies, at their discretion, to children aged between two and seven who are in severe distress.

The idea began overseas after the wife of an Essex Freemason suffered an allergic and wound up in an accident and emergency unit.

After suffering what they describe ‘the most traumatic experience of their lives' the pair wanted to find a way to say thanks to the medical staff who had helped them.

Teddies for Loving care was born as a result and launched in 2002.

Through support of Freemasons the appeal is currently being run in England, Wales, Gibraltar, Cyprus, Ireland, Scotland, and as of this year, New Zealand.

In a special presentation this morning, more than 80 boxes were delivered to Tauranga Hospital.

TLC Appeal New Zealand chairman and freemason member Tony Mansfield says the appeal started in New Zealand last year, with Rotorua being the first in the country to receive them, soon followed by Waikato and Gisborne Hospitals.

'More than 18 months ago freemasons around the world celebrated a 300-year anniversary.

'As a way to mark the occasion, we decided to support a charity. We found out about the TLC appeal overseas, decided it would be wonderful for New Zealand, got the money together and helped bring appeal here.”

The first container brought in 12,960 bears for hospitals around the country, he says.

'We have made a deliberate policy to go to smaller regions first. This is because we often find that these health boards don't tend to get access to these sorts of things, unless they are left over from the larger hospitals.”

He says a delivery is planned for Whakatane later today and Taranaki before the end of the week.

'Accident and emergency medical staff work hard every day, in an already stressful environment.

'They do a fabulous job and largely go by without being thanked, so to provide them with something that can help improve the work they do is something we are more than happy to do.”

He says the appeal is not just a one-off, but a long-term partnership.

'We will continue to provide bears as they are needed for the next three years.”