EIGHTEEN thousand more teddies have been sent to suffering children worldwide within the last year.

The Teddy Trust, started by Leominster's Ellie Somme, recently sent another 10,000 teddies to Syria which brings the total sent there to more than 45,000 teddies.

KMB Shipping has provided four free shipments to the charity.

They have also increased shipments to South Africa where soft toys are distributed by Rotary International to children who suffer from sexual abuse and abandonment. South Africa Removals have added their support.

This year they have also sent teddies to Iraq, Kurdistan, Turkey, Fiji, Nepal, Zimbabwe, Greece and several other countries through different charities.

They also work with Arthur Etheridge from the Hope Carriers Trust, based in Hereford, who takes all the toys they can’t send, to children in orphanages around Romania.

Ellie said: "Sometimes a child is so traumatised by what has happened to them that they cannot speak, walk or even go to the toilet.

"But a teddy, sent with love and compassion by a child in the UK can have a profoundly healing effect and a suffering child can maybe begin to heal a little through teddy.

"We can’t take away their pain but we can show them we care deeply about them."

There are several drop off points in the area. Go to teddytrust.org.uk to find out where.