By Ewen McRae
A St Albans sewing club has delivered more than 100 hand knitted teddy bears to Ambulance Victoria to help provide comfort for children experiencing a traumatic event.
The St Albans Sew and Chat Club has spent months working on the trauma teddies, which paramedics give to children to help keep them calm.
Ambulance Victoria senior member Georgie Hall said the teddies played an important role for the paramedics.
“The idea is that when we attend a scene with children, we can give them the teddy so they can point on it to show us where the pain is,” Ms Hall said.
“But they also get to keep the teddy afterwards as a bit of a security thing, so it’s a pretty important tool for us.
“It’s great to say thank you to the group, and for one branch this would be one of the bigger donations we have received … it’s a huge effort.”
The sewing group of more than 30, which is supported by Brimbank council with materials and wool, has met every week to create the teddies.
The group has knitters ranging in age from 50 up into the 90s, and was presented with a certificate of appreciation from Ambulance Victoria last week.
The teddies will stay within the Brimbank region.
