Leeds family attraction donates 3,000 teddies for little Maggie's charity mission

A young girl's plea for teddies to send to children from war-torn countries has been answered by kindhearted bosses at a major tourist attraction in Leeds.
Maggie Snodgrass, nine, of Harrogate, who has collected 4,000 teddies to send to children in war-torn countries, through The Teddy Trust. Stockeld Park donated 3,000 of them, after raiding their grotto. Picture: Gerard BinksMaggie Snodgrass, nine, of Harrogate, who has collected 4,000 teddies to send to children in war-torn countries, through The Teddy Trust. Stockeld Park donated 3,000 of them, after raiding their grotto. Picture: Gerard Binks
Maggie Snodgrass, nine, of Harrogate, who has collected 4,000 teddies to send to children in war-torn countries, through The Teddy Trust. Stockeld Park donated 3,000 of them, after raiding their grotto. Picture: Gerard Binks

Maggie Snodgrass, nine, issued an online appeal for teddies after being inspired by the work of The Teddy Trust, a charity which sends cuddly toys to children around the world suffering the traumas of war, starvation or abuse.

The enterprising youngster had already collected an impressive 1,000 teddies herself - with the help of Harrogate estate agents Verity Frearson - when bosses at family favourite Stockeld Park saw her appeal.

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They raided their Santa's grotto store and were able to gift 3,000 teddies to Maggie's mission, leaving her "speechless".

Mum Lyndsay Snodgrass, of Harrogate, first told Maggie about The Teddy Trust, sparking her desire to help. She said: "She designed a poster to hand out at school and she originally thought that she might get 20-25 from her friends.

"The idea seemed to grow from there."

Lyndsay approached her friend, Matthew Stamford, director of Verity Frearson, to be a local drop-off point and help publicise the appeal - which then caught the eye of Stockeld Park staff.

"When they told us they had in the region of 3,000 teddies to donate Maggie was speechless!

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"We now have the slightly daunting task of getting somewhere in the region of 4,000 teddies back to our house to be sorted, packed and delivered to The Teddy Trust in Hereford."

Darren Smith, events and entertainment Manager at Stockeld Park, said: “We heard young Maggie’s aim was to reach 1,000 so we were thrilled to help her smash that target.

"As a family attraction, we were all bowled over by young Maggie. Running a busy Santa’s grotto every year, you see how young children’s eyes light up - teddies are a gift of comfort and love. Donating a teddy to cuddle to over 4,000 children in dire circumstances is a commendable act of kindness and care by Maggie.”

Ellie Somme, founder of the The Teddy Trust, said Maggie's haul of teddies was "phenomenal".

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"Her mum contacted us to say she was collecting but when I received her latest email I was gobsmacked. It's just a wonderful collection. And they're just exactly what we want - soft cuddly teddies. We know they do bring a lot of comfort to the children we send them to. So what she's done is phenomenal.

"These will pretty much fill three-and-a-half pallets. We're sending a lot to Greece at the moment and also to Iraq, Kurdistan and South Africa. So it's fantastic."

For more information on the work of The Teddy Trust, visit www.teddytrust.org.uk.

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