Local knitter makes 'trauma teddies' to comfort kids during fire incidents
The Fire and Rescue service is "so grateful" to Sheila
A woman from Pershore has been knitting "trauma teddies" for firefighters to give to young children to comfort them during frightening incidents.
Along with her rescue labrador Rudy, Sheila Allies spends her evenings knitting 'trauma teddies' for the Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue service.
The teddies have now become an essential part of the service's 'call out' equipment and travel on HWFRS's front line appliances.
The project was inspired by Watch Commander Jayne Collins, from Redditch fire station, who has launched the scheme.
The first day that the Redditch fire station got the green light to start using the teddies, there was a road traffic collision in front of the building, said Ms Collins.
"A six-year-old little boy whose mum was injured was struggling to be brave but was very shaken, so he was thrilled to be given a teddy. He thought it gave him superpowers to be brave for his mum and it worked a treat!", she remembered.
Ms Collins came up with 'trauma teddies' after talking to colleagues in other fire services and resorted to Facebook to find knitting volunteers.
Sheila got in touch because she’d already made some and was wondering who could benefit in her area, after previously sending them abroad.
Apart from teddies, kids can also find comfort in knitted hedgehogs and mice, made by Sheila and her friends, who have also joined the cause.
Sheila said: "Although I do most of the knitting, it is lovely that my friends are supporting me, aged 80 and 92, and now we have mice and hedgehog puppets as well as teddies. I am so glad they are being put to good use."
There are about 90 toys in total and Commander Collins plans to distribute them across the service area - in plastic bags to keep them clean.