It started as a small project but quickly grew into something that would make a meaningful difference in the lives of children affected by trauma.

Kilpatrick Court residents Lucy Moore, aged 90, and Colleen Fletcher, 93, have spent the past few months creating Trauma Teddies to help bring comfort and emotional support for young people in need.

The teddies are carefully crafted and undergo appropriate safety checks before being donated to Red Cross Australia.

So far, more than 40 hand knitted teddies have been dropped off at the Red Cross’ Hamilton store.

Trauma Teddies provide care in many ways. They can offer comfort to children fleeing bushfires, floods and other emergencies; give a warm welcome to refugee children; act as a companion in an ambulance; and deliver a happy face in a lonely time.

According to the Red Cross, more than 600 volunteer knitters and knitting groups create teddies in Australia.

They combine to lovingly craft around 50,000 Trauma Teddies a year.

Lucy says the idea came about at a weekly Knit and Yarn activity.

“We were tired of ordinary knitting and asked Lifestyle and Wellbeing Team Leader Jackie if we could come up with some new ideas,” she says.

“We decided to do the teddies for the Red Cross and make it a worthy cause, rather than for just ourselves.”

One teddy can take several days to create – depending on other commitments – and the colour theme for each is carefully selected.

Lucy and Colleen have crafted a Christmas-themed teddy, an Australian Olympian, and some have even been designed to represent football teams.

Lucy says the project has brought a great deal of personal pleasure to the pair.

“We’re helping children in the community, particularly trauma [affected] children, and we feel like we’re doing something worthwhile at our age,” she says.

Learn more about Trauma Teddies at redcross.org.au/teddy