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Pictured:  Rotary Club of Ascot President Elect - Jo Clare,  and Tony Love (Rotary Organiser of the Toys Scheme),  Present the Cuddly Toys to Hev, Ben and Chris, at the Bracknell Station of the South Central Ambulance Service.

Ascot Rotarian,Tony Love, delivered another consignment of 100, very endearing cuddly Toys to the Bracknell Station of the South Central Ambulance Service, on December 17th 2020.  Tony has run the scheme in this area for several years, having adapted it from one he observed operating in the USA. There, he says, the toys were described as a vital piece of equipment!

The Toys are placed on the ambulances in the Bracknell and Ascot area to be given to young children, to keep. This may be as a result of their being sick, injured or upset due to accident or an accident to one of their parents with the child in the ambulance. 

The ambulance itself, the uniformed medical staff, the possible presence of police, can all lead to a very traumatic experience for a young child. The gift of a soft toys helps to redirect the child's attention away from the more serious nature of the event and help to calm the situation down.  Hev (pictured above), says the toys have been found to be very effective over the past few years , as they help to distract children from a potentially difficult situation and help them feel more reassured by the paramedics and crews.

Tony added that he would like to thank Waitrose at Sunningdale , who very generously part-sponsor the cuddly toys through their 'Community Matters' programme.