A COUNTY charity has been spreading a little joy across the world after sending out 30,000 teddies to children from as far afield as the Middle East and Africa.

Last year was one of the best for the Leominster-based Teddy Trust charity, who sent teddies to children in in Kurdistan, Iraq, South Africa, Greece, Romania, and many more places.

The persecuted Yazidi community, which suffered appalling atrocities at the hands of IS during a 2014 genocide, are receiving teddies sent from Herefordshire on a regular basis for their children in camps.

In Greece The Hope Project are taking teddies into camps for Syrian refugees.

The trust say the children 'have absolutely nothing and so a teddy, given with love and compassion by a child in the UK, has a profoundly comforting effect.'

"Never underestimate the healing power of a teddy."

It costs £15 to send a box of teddies and last year the trust sent out 914.

The charity is manned entirely by volunteers who recycle everything, including the boxes. With huge shipping, customs and port costs, often paid in large sums, the charity is appealing for donations and is also looking for new ways of fundraising through its website, teddytrust.org.uk.

The trust recently moved base, thanks to the help of Rotary who directed them towards Steven and Eva Dale who agreed to offer an empty block of offices on the retail park near to the town's B&Q.

Rent is paid by Angela Lloyd and B&Q agreed to be the trust's postal address to receive donated teddies. The store has also started its own teddy collection service for its customers.

The charity has increased shipments to South Africa where it works with several Rotary Clubs who distribute teddies to the townships, schools, hospitals and police rape crisis centres.

Two new Trustees have joined. Gill Serjeant has taken on accounts and shipping while Keith Balmer, who recently retired as CEO of KMB Shipping, is looking into the trust's shipping options.

KMB is the largest sponsor and donates a free shipment to Syria every year, with 35,000 teddies sent over three years.

To donate in a secure way go to the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) website and follow links. Look out for a new sponsor-a-box tag.