This Heartwarming Initiative Hopes To Reunite Kids And Lost Teddies This Christmas

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Any parent will know that losing a child’s favourite teddy – whether on a day out or en route to your family holiday – spells absolute disaster.

There will be sobbing, there will be tantrums, there may even be sleepless nights (and that’s just you).

Unsurprisingly then, a new survey found one in 10 (12% of) UK parents say the loss of a child’s teddy has ruined their family trip altogether.

A further one in five (18%) say they’ve missed a travel connection or delayed a journey because their child’s toy went missing, while just over one-quarter (26%) have spent up to half an hour hunting for a lost toy.

Parents go to extreme lengths to replace children’s teddies

The same survey found just over one-quarter of parents (29%) admit to having bought a replacement bear while abroad, with almost half (45%) spending up to £50, and one in 10 (11%) forking out up to £100 for a new one. 

One in 20 parents have shipped a replacement teddy internationally, while one in 10 admit to having “aged” a new bear with dirt to pass them off as the original. 

In some cases, parents have had to tell a white lie about teddy’s whereabouts, claiming they’re “on holiday”, “staying at home to watch the house” or “visiting a teddy hospital”.

To tackle what is clearly an ordeal for all involved, Heathrow Express has teamed up with pre-loved toy organisation Loved Before (described as a ‘sustainable soft toy adoption agency’) to launch Operation Teddy Rescue – a heartwarming long-term initiative to help lost teddies find their way home again. 

How does it work?

If you misplace a teddy while travelling, you should check out Loved Before and Heathrow Express on Instagram where they’ll share updates on the latest “rescued” teddies. Here, you can also report a lost bear, or adopt a new one.

Each rescued teddy will be “gently cleaned, given a cuddle and reunited with its original owner wherever possible”.

If all else fails, and the original owner can’t be found, the bear will be re-homed with someone new, instead of being thrown away. 

Aoife Considine, from Heathrow Express, said she will “never forget”  the railway staff that reunited her with her teddy Robert at Birmingham International station “many moons ago”.

“That’s why this year we’re launching our lost-bear initiative to help reunite families with their much-loved travel companions,” she said. 

“We’re proud to offer a reliable, family-friendly service that parents can count on to make at least one part of the journey smooth and stress-free. And if a few well-loved bears find their way home in the process this Christmas – even better.” 

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